Mots-C is a small humanin-like peptide (SHLP) mitochondrial-derived 16-amino acid peptide sequence (MDP). Mots-C can reduce proinflammatory cytokine expression, increase anti-inflammatory factors and insulin-stimulated glucose treatment rates, improve insulin sensitivity, pharmacologically initiate AMPK activation which in turn stimulates energy-generating processes such as glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation while decreasing energy consuming processes like fat deposition. This is likened to mimicking exercise at the cellular level without the physical need to actually exercise.

The nature of Mots-C being genetically encoded to the mitochondria and having such a direct impact on proper cellular function and energy production demonstrates the diversity of application this peptide can have – from performance optimization to combating metabolic disease in the obese to working synergistically with NAD+ to prevent DNA breakdown and fight the onset of neurodegenerative disease states.

AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide) is a molecule that acts as a pharmacological activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), essentially mimicking the effect of increased AMP levels within a cell, thus triggering the AMPK pathway to promote energy conservation mechanisms when energy is low; in simpler terms, AICAR is a drug that artificially activates the AMPK cycle by mimicking the cellular signal to conserve energy. This allows AMPK to be activated faster and more predictably, and as such is a perfect match with Mots-C.