# The study collection

> Studies | Vital Force Peptides — The Vital Force Peptides reading list: 17 sources on MOTS-c muscle experiments, AOD-9604 trials and retatrutide’s clinical and metabolic results.

**Reading list**

The full bibliography follows these starting points. The studies range from proteins and cultured cells to animals, observational cohorts and treatment trials.

## MOTS-c: muscle and movement

A useful starting pair is the [exercise and ageing experiments in mice](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33473109/) and the [CK2 and muscle-wasting study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39559755/). The [MOTS-c review](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36670507/) supplies biological context. The [cell-stress paper](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29983246/) concerns nuclear gene activity; the [haemodialysis cohort](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39111290/) concerns naturally circulating levels and later outcomes.

## AOD-9604: fat metabolism and tolerability

The [obese-mouse fat-oxidation paper](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11673763/) and [beta-3 receptor experiment](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11713213/) explain the mechanistic interest. The [human safety report](https://www.jofem.org/index.php/jofem/article/view/157/194), [animal safety and metabolism work](https://jofem.org/index.php/jofem/article/view/213/278) and [rabbit cartilage experiment](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26275694/) address different questions.

## Retatrutide: clinical outcomes

The [obesity trial](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37366315/), [type 2 diabetes trial](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37385280/) and [liver substudy](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11271400/) contain the main human results. The [early phase 1b trial](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36354040/), [structural work](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11255275/), [clinical review](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12190491/) and [lipid and metabolite analysis](https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgag201) fill out the record.

## References

[1] Kumagai H, Kim SJ, Miller B, et al. MOTS-c modulates skeletal muscle function by directly binding and activating CK2. iScience. 2024;27(11):111212. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39559755/
[2] Bolignano D, Greco M, Presta P, Duni A, et al. The Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide MOTS-c May Refine Mortality and Cardiovascular Risk Prediction in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: A Multicenter Cohort Study. Blood Purification. 2024;53(10):824-837. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39111290/
[3] Wan W, Zhang L, Lin Y, Rao X, Wang X, Hua F, Ying J. Mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c: effects and mechanisms related to stress, metabolism and aging. Journal of Translational Medicine. 2023;21(1):36. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36670507/
[4] Reynolds JC, Lai RW, Woodhead JST, Joly JH, Mitchell CJ, Cameron-Smith D, Lu R, Cohen P, Graham NA, Benayoun BA, Merry TL, Lee C. MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis. Nature Communications. 2021;12(1):470. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33473109/
[5] Kim KH, Son JM, Benayoun BA, Lee C. The Mitochondrial-Encoded Peptide MOTS-c Translocates to the Nucleus to Regulate Nuclear Gene Expression in Response to Metabolic Stress. Cell Metabolism. 2018;28(3):516-524.e7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29983246/
[6] Kwon DR, Park GY. Effect of Intra-articular Injection of AOD9604 with or without Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Osteoarthritis Model. Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science. 2015;45(4):426-432. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26275694/
[7] More MI, Kenley D. Safety and Metabolism of AOD9604, a Novel Nutraceutical Ingredient for Improved Metabolic Health. Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2014;4(3):64-77. https://jofem.org/index.php/jofem/article/view/213/278
[8] Stier H, Vos E, Kenley D. Safety and Tolerability of the Hexadecapeptide AOD9604 in Humans. Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2013;3(1-2):7-15. https://www.jofem.org/index.php/jofem/article/view/157/194
[9] Heffernan M, Summers RJ, Thorburn A, Ogru E, Gianello R, Jiang WJ, Ng FM. The effects of human GH and its lipolytic fragment (AOD9604) on lipid metabolism following chronic treatment in obese mice and beta(3)-AR knock-out mice. Endocrinology. 2001;142(12):5182-5189. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11713213/
[10] Heffernan MA, Thorburn AW, Fam B, Summers R, Conway-Campbell B, Waters MJ, Ng FM. Increase of fat oxidation and weight loss in obese mice caused by chronic treatment with human growth hormone or a modified C-terminal fragment. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 2001;25(10):1442-1449. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11673763/
[11] Katsi V, Koutsopoulos G, Fragoulis C, Dimitriadis K, Tsioufis K. Retatrutide-A Game Changer in Obesity Pharmacotherapy. Biomolecules. 2025;15:796. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12190491/
[12] Li W, Zhou Q, Cong Z, Yuan Q, Li W, Zhao F, Xu HE, Zhao LH, Yang D, Wang MW. Structural insights into the triple agonism at GLP-1R, GIPR and GCGR manifested by retatrutide. Cell Discovery. 2024;10:77. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11255275/
[13] Sanyal AJ, Kaplan LM, Frias JP, Brouwers B, Wu Q, Thomas MK, Harris C, Schloot NC, Du Y, Mather KJ, Haupt A, Hartman ML. Triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized phase 2a trial. Nature Medicine. 2024;30:2037-2048. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11271400/
[14] Jastreboff AM, et al. Triple-Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity - A Phase 2 Trial. N Engl J Med. 2023;389(6):514-526. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37366315/
[15] Rosenstock J, et al. Retatrutide, a GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist, for people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, placebo and active-controlled, parallel-group, phase 2 trial. Lancet. 2023;402(10401):529-544. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37385280/
[16] Urva S, Coskun T, Loh MT, Du Y, Thomas MK, Gurbuz S, Haupt A, Benson CT, Hernandez-Illas M, D'Alessio DA, Milicevic Z. LY3437943, a novel triple GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptor agonist in people with type 2 diabetes: a phase 1b, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, multiple-ascending dose trial. Lancet. 2022;400:1869-1881. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36354040/
[17] Pearson MJ, et al. Retatrutide And Lipid And Metabolite Profiles In Participants With Obesity With Or Without Type 2 Diabetes. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgag201

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Vital Force Peptides is an independent digest of metabolic signals and measured weight outcomes, not a clinic, vendor, or source of medical direction.