SS-31

About SS-31

SS-31 is a synthetic tetrapeptide from the Szeto-Schiller series, developed by Hazel Szeto and Peter Schiller in the early 2000s. It is better known by its generic name elamipretide, and it is the only compound in this catalogue to have received a regulatory approval in its own right: in September 2025 the FDA granted Stealth BioTherapeutics accelerated approval of elamipretide (brand name Forzinity) to improve muscle strength in Barth syndrome, an ultra-rare mitochondrial disease. That approval covers a specific pharmaceutical product; the research-grade peptide supplied here is not that product.

SS-31 concentrates in the inner mitochondrial membrane, and it has been studied in models of heart failure, ischaemia–reperfusion injury, kidney disease, skeletal-muscle ageing and mitochondrial myopathies.

Mechanism

The peptide's alternating aromatic and cationic residues let it cross membranes and bind cardiolipin, the phospholipid unique to the inner mitochondrial membrane that holds the respiratory-chain complexes in place. By stabilising cardiolipin and the cristae structure, SS-31 is reported to improve electron transport efficiency, increase ATP production and reduce the leak of reactive oxygen species — a mechanism that targets the membrane rather than any single enzyme.

Areas of research

1. Selectively concentrates in the inner mitochondrial membrane
2. Studied for stabilisation of cristae structure and electron-transport efficiency
3. Investigated in models of cardiac, renal and skeletal-muscle mitochondrial dysfunction
4. Clinical development history in primary mitochondrial myopathy

References

1. Szeto HH. First-in-class cardiolipin-protective compound as a therapeutic agent to restore mitochondrial bioenergetics. Br J Pharmacol. 2014;171(8):2029-2050. PubMed
2. Birk AV et al. The mitochondrial-targeted compound SS-31 re-energizes ischemic mitochondria by interacting with cardiolipin. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2013;24(8):1250-1261. PubMed
3. Reid Thompson W et al. A phase 2/3 randomized clinical trial followed by an open-label extension to evaluate the effectiveness of elamipretide in Barth syndrome. Genet Med. 2021;23(3):471-478. PubMed

Research use only. Information on this page is provided for educational and research purposes and summarises published literature, mostly from cell and animal studies; it is not a claim of efficacy or safety. Products are not intended for human or veterinary use, or for any diagnostic or therapeutic purpose.