Pinchas Cohen
The academic dean who co-discovered MOTS-c
Bio
Pinchas Cohen is an endocrinologist and academic who has spent much of his career studying the IGF-1 signaling axis and, more recently, a novel class of small peptides encoded by short open reading frames in mitochondrial DNA. He serves as dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, one of the largest dedicated aging-research schools in the United States.
Background
Cohen trained at Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School and did pediatric endocrinology at Stanford. Early in his career he focused on IGF-1 binding proteins and their role in growth and cancer. Around 2015, his lab — with Changhan David Lee as co-lead — published the discovery of MOTS-c, a small peptide encoded within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene, opening a new field of mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs).
What They Do
Cohen's lab studies mitochondrial-derived peptides including MOTS-c and humanin, characterizing their biology, regulation, and potential roles as longevity-relevant 'mitokines' that signal between mitochondria and the nucleus. His group has published on age-related declines in MOTS-c, its role in insulin sensitivity and exercise adaptation, and on genetic variants that may affect longevity. He is also a central administrative figure in gerontology through his deanship at USC.
Research Record
Cohen co-authored the original MOTS-c discovery paper (Lee et al., Cell Metabolism 2015) and has continued to publish on mitochondrial-derived peptides in high-quality journals. His IGF-1 work is also well cited. Unlike some peptide-adjacent public figures, his scientific record is substantial and legitimately peer-reviewed.
Our Evidence Summary
Cohen is the rare figure whose scientific credibility is high but whose field has been partly co-opted by a commercial gray market. MOTS-c is real, its discovery is important, and age-related changes in MDPs are a legitimate area of study. What he has not claimed — but what grey-market vendors imply — is that injecting synthetic MOTS-c extends human lifespan. That remains speculative and is not yet supported by human clinical trials.
Claim-by-Claim Evidence Review
Mitochondrial DNA encodes functional peptides via short open reading frames
The discovery of MOTS-c, humanin, and other MDPs has been replicated by multiple labs. The existence and function of this class of peptides is now well-established molecular biology.
MOTS-c circulating levels decline with age in humans
Multiple studies, including from Cohen's lab, have reported age-related declines in circulating MOTS-c. Measurement is assay-dependent and results vary somewhat across populations, but the general trend is reasonably supported.
MOTS-c improves insulin sensitivity and exercise adaptation in mice
Rodent studies show MOTS-c administration improves glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and exercise performance. The mouse biology is solid.
Exogenous MOTS-c administration produces clinical longevity benefits in humans
No published human clinical trials show longevity or major healthspan benefits from MOTS-c administration. Grey-market 'research peptide' MOTS-c products are not FDA-approved and have no adequate safety or efficacy data.
IGF-1 signaling is a central longevity axis in mammals
Cohen's own work and a large body of literature support IGF-1 pathway modulation as a core node in aging biology, including in centenarian genetics.
Mitochondrial-derived peptides represent a promising future class of longevity therapeutics
A reasonable scientific hypothesis supported by preclinical data. Whether MDPs become useful drugs will depend on delivery, pharmacokinetics, and human trial results that do not yet exist.
Variant K (a mitochondrial SNP affecting humanin levels) influences longevity
Interesting candidate but requires further replication in independent cohorts before being considered established.
Related Reading
MOTS-c: The Mitochondrial Peptide Linked to Longevity
MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded by mitochondrial DNA, acting as an exercise-mimetic hormone. A rigorous look at the longevity evidence.
What Are Peptides? The Complete Beginner's Guide (2026)
A clear beginner's guide to what peptides are, how the body makes them, and why peptide therapeutics are transforming medicine in 2026.
Peptides for Longevity: A Science-Based Beginner's Guide
A science-based beginner's guide to peptides for longevity — Epitalon, GHK-Cu, BPC-157, MOTS-c — honest evidence and the regulatory reality.
The 12 Hallmarks of Aging: A Complete Guide
The 12 hallmarks of aging provide a scientific framework for understanding why we age and where interventions might slow or reverse the process.