Mitochondria-Targeting Peptide Elamipretide Restores Fertility and Egg Quality in Aged Mice, Aging Cell Study Reports
Researchers at Nanjing Agricultural University reported in Aging Cell, published online Friday, October 2, 2026, that elamipretide increased litter size in aged female mice and improved the quality and maturation of their eggs, an effect they traced to a vitamin B6 and VEGF signaling pathway. In lab experiments, the peptide also improved the maturation, fertilization, and early cell division of eggs from older women. Elamipretide received FDA accelerated approval as Forzinity for the rare mitochondrial disease Barth syndrome in September 2025, and it has not been tested as a fertility treatment in people.