From mice to 'gym rats': Unregulated use of peptides raises alarm among researchers

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Set us as preferred A few months ago, Pinchas Cohen learned of a thriving online trade in MOTS-c — a peptide that, when injected into mice, seems to mimic the effects of exercise.The dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology was very familiar with this particular short chain of amino acids.His lab identified it years ago as one of the thousands of peptides that act as chemical messengers in the human body, one he believed might someday have therapeutic uses for humans.But Cohen was alarmed to learn that his discovery was now being promoted by legions of longevity seekers, fitness enthusiasts and wellness influencers as “exercise in a bottle.” Though not approved by the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration, it was widely available online, often in vials marked “for research use only.” “Turns out that tens of thousands of people are injecting themselves with MOTS-c [that’s] black market, illegal, from unknown sources, unknown purity, unknown sterility, and I strongly object to that,” Cohen said.Driven by social media hype and a growing distrust of public health guidance, consumer demand for experimental peptides has exploded over the last decade.Now, the clamor over unregulated peptides is fueling a high-stakes policy battle within the federal government.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.Kennedy Jr.

has described himself as a “big fan” and user of peptides, and has pledged to end the government’s “aggressive suppression” of them.Science & Medicine Jake Collective and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention are launching a $5 million, five-year initiativeSome peptides, such as insulin, human growth hormone and glucagon-like peptide-1, have delivered transformational therapeutic effects when administered to humans.

But every vial of insulin or GLP-1 medication on a pharmac...