MOTS-c protects retinal blood-vessel cells in mouse and laboratory models

A study in Cell Death Discovery examined MOTS-c in cultured human retinal blood-vessel cells and mice with experimentally induced diabetes. The peptide reduced damage to the vascular barrier and improved mitochondrial function in these models. Experiments implicated PLA2G6, an enzyme involved in lipid metabolism, and reducing its expression blocked the protective effect. These preclinical findings do not establish that MOTS-c prevents or treats diabetic eye disease in people.