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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · mouse · 2015

3 results

A mitochondrial therapeutic reverses visual decline in mouse models of diabetes.

Alam NM, Mills WC 4th, Wong AA, Douglas RM, Szeto HH, Prusky GT

Disease models & mechanisms23 Apr 2015Cited by 57 (Europe PMC)

PMID26035391 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC4486862 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1242/dmm.020248 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-26035391
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Summary

Diabetic retinopathy is characterized by progressive vision loss and the advancement of retinal micoraneurysms, edema and angiogenesis. Unfortunately, managing glycemia or targeting vascular complications with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents has shown only limited efficacy in treating the deterioration of vision in diabetic retinopathy. In light of growing evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is an independent pathophysiology of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy, we investigated whether selectively targeting and improving mitochondrial dysfunction is a viable treatment for visual decline in diabetes. Measures of spatial visual behavior, blood glucose, bodyweight and optical clarity were made in mouse models of diabetes. Treatment groups were administered MTP-131, a water-soluble tetrapeptide that selectively targets mitochondrial cardiolipin and promotes efficient electron transfer, either systemically or in eye drops. Progressive visual decline emerged in untreated animals before the overt symptoms of metabolic and ophthalmic abnormalities were manifest, but with time, visual dysfunction was accompanied by compromised glucose clearance, and elevated blood glucose and bodyweight. MTP-131 treatment reversed the visual decline without improving glycemic control or reducing bodyweight. These data provide evidence that visuomotor decline is an early complication of diabetes. They also indicate that selectively treating mitochondrial dysfunction with MTP-131 has the potential to remediate the visual dysfunction and to complement existing treatments for diabetic retinopathy.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study3

3 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mouse models of diabetes, MTP-131 reversed the progressive visual decline.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic mice, MTP-131 reversed the decline in visual behavior.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    DecreaseVisual decline (spatial visual behaviour)
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    Mouse models of diabetes
    Comparator
    Untreated animals
    Outcome group
    Vision and retina · Eye
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · systemic or eye dropsAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    MTP-131 treatment reversed the visual decline without improving glycemic control or reducing bodyweight.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Measures of spatial visual behavior, blood glucose, bodyweight and optical clarity were made in mouse models of diabetes.
    Summary · context
    Treatment groups were administered MTP-131, a water-soluble tetrapeptide that selectively targets mitochondrial cardiolipin and promotes efficient electron transfer, either systemically or in eye drops.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mouse models of diabetes, MTP-131 did not improve glycemic control.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic mice, MTP-131 did not improve blood sugar control.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    No significant changeGlycemic control
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    Mouse models of diabetes
    Comparator
    Untreated animals
    Outcome group
    Glycemic control · Metabolic and weight
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · systemic or eye dropsAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    MTP-131 treatment reversed the visual decline without improving glycemic control or reducing bodyweight.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Measures of spatial visual behavior, blood glucose, bodyweight and optical clarity were made in mouse models of diabetes.
    Summary · context
    Treatment groups were administered MTP-131, a water-soluble tetrapeptide that selectively targets mitochondrial cardiolipin and promotes efficient electron transfer, either systemically or in eye drops.
  3. 03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mouse models of diabetes, MTP-131 did not reduce bodyweight.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic mice, MTP-131 did not lower body weight.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    No significant changeBodyweight
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    Mouse models of diabetes
    Comparator
    Untreated animals
    Outcome group
    Body weight · Metabolic and weight
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · systemic or eye dropsAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    MTP-131 treatment reversed the visual decline without improving glycemic control or reducing bodyweight.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Measures of spatial visual behavior, blood glucose, bodyweight and optical clarity were made in mouse models of diabetes.
    Summary · context
    Treatment groups were administered MTP-131, a water-soluble tetrapeptide that selectively targets mitochondrial cardiolipin and promotes efficient electron transfer, either systemically or in eye drops.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    10 Oct 2026, 08:19 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:47 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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