MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-encoded interferon-linked host defense peptide
Rice MC, Imun M, Jung SW, et al. (2026). eLife.
Summary
A preclinical study reporting that MOTS-c has direct antibacterial activity against E. coli and MRSA, partly by acting on their membranes, and neutralised MRSA in a mouse peritonitis model. Exogenous MOTS-c during monocyte differentiation produced macrophages with altered gene expression and better bacterial clearance. One author is a consultant and shareholder of CohBar, Inc.