SS-31

SS-31, also known as Elamipretide, is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Dimethyltyrosine-D-Arginine-Dimethyltyrosine-Lysine-NH₂) specifically designed to target mitochondrial dysfunction through selective binding to cardiolipin, a unique phospholipid found exclusively in the inner mitochondrial membrane. nih SS peptides comprise a class of amphipathic tetrapeptides characterized by alternating cationic and aromatic side chains, a structural motif that confers both membrane permeability and selective mitochondrial targeting. Simple Peptide This architecture positions SS-31 as one of the most mechanistically distinct mitochondria-penetrating peptides available for preclinical research.
Despite a strong positive charge density (formal charge of +3), SS-31 traverses the plasma membrane in an energy-independent and non-saturable manner, accumulating 1,000 to 5,000-fold at the mitochondrial inner membrane. Early cell culture studies demonstrated that SS-31 protects cells against induced oxidative stress by curtailing oxidative cell death, reducing intracellular ROS, maintaining membrane potential (ΔΨm), and preventing lipid peroxidation, all in a dose-dependent manner. Revolution Health Additionally, SS-31 has been shown to alter divalent cation distribution within the mitochondrial interfacial region, reducing the energetic burden of calcium stress — a mechanism with direct relevance to ischemia-reperfusion and excitotoxicity research models.
Independent research groups using cell culture and animal disease models have demonstrated significant efficacy in restoring mitochondrial function across a wide range of pathologies, including cardiomyopathy and heart failure, skeletal muscle injury and atrophy, ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion injury, kidney injury and disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and the heritable disease Friedreich’s ataxia. Revolution Health More recent investigations have also explored SS-31’s capacity to displace α-synuclein from lipid membranes, opening a novel line of inquiry into its potential utility in Parkinson’s-related mitochondrial impairment models. Peptide Dosages Supplied in lyophilized form for maximum stability; reconstitute with sterile bacteriostatic water prior to use in aqueous assay systems.