SS-31: What It Is and What It Does

What SS-31 is

SS-31 (also called elamipretide) is a small four-amino-acid peptide designed to home in on mitochondria, the energy factories inside cells. It is supplied as an analytical-grade reference material for laboratory research.

What it does — in plain terms

SS-31 is built to concentrate on the inner membrane of the mitochondria, where it binds a special lipid called cardiolipin. That membrane is where cells actually generate their energy, and it tends to become disorganized under stress or with age. By stabilizing cardiolipin, SS-31 appears to help the energy machinery stay efficient and produce fewer damaging byproducts. That targeted mechanism makes it a common tool in research on cellular energy (bioenergetics), oxidative stress, and age-related decline.

Here's where SS-31 actually shows up in the published research:

• How mitochondria produce cellular energy (bioenergetics)
• Cardiolipin and inner-membrane stability
• Mitochondrial oxidative stress
• Age-related and metabolic research