# References — Metabolic & Weight Research Peptide Literature — Freebase Peptides

> The aggregated citation list for the Freebase Peptides metabolic digest: peer-reviewed sources on retatrutide, MOTS-c, and tesamorelin, with DOIs and PubMed links.

Every source cited across the three peptide pages and the comparison, gathered in one place.

## References

The list below aggregates the cited literature across all three metabolic peptides on this desk — retatrutide, MOTS-c, and tesamorelin. Each entry gives authors, title, journal and year, with a DOI and a PubMed or PubMed Central link where available. A single citation is listed once and referred to by its number throughout the site. Where a source is a review or meta-analysis, it is the review that is cited, not the individual primary studies it aggregates.

## References

[1] Katsi V, Koutsopoulos G, Fragoulis C, Dimitriadis K, Tsioufis K. Retatrutide-A Game Changer in Obesity Pharmacotherapy. Biomolecules. 2025;15:796. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12190491/
[2] Li W, Zhou Q, Cong Z, Yuan Q, Li W, Zhao F, Xu HE, Zhao LH, Yang D, Wang MW. Structural insights into the triple agonism at GLP-1R, GIPR and GCGR manifested by retatrutide. Cell Discovery. 2024;10:77. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11255275/
[3] Sanyal AJ, Kaplan LM, Frias JP, Brouwers B, Wu Q, Thomas MK, Harris C, Schloot NC, Du Y, Mather KJ, Haupt A, Hartman ML. Triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized phase 2a trial. Nature Medicine. 2024;30:2037-2048. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11271400/
[4] Jastreboff AM, et al. Triple-Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity - A Phase 2 Trial. N Engl J Med. 2023;389(6):514-526. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37366315/
[5] Rosenstock J, et al. Retatrutide, a GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist, for people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, placebo and active-controlled, parallel-group, phase 2 trial. Lancet. 2023;402(10401):529-544. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37385280/
[6] Urva S, Coskun T, Loh MT, Du Y, Thomas MK, Gurbuz S, Haupt A, Benson CT, Hernandez-Illas M, D'Alessio DA, Milicevic Z. LY3437943, a novel triple GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptor agonist in people with type 2 diabetes: a phase 1b, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, multiple-ascending dose trial. Lancet. 2022;400:1869-1881. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36354040/
[7] Pearson MJ, et al. Retatrutide And Lipid And Metabolite Profiles In Participants With Obesity With Or Without Type 2 Diabetes. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgag201
[8] Kumagai H, Kim SJ, Miller B, et al. MOTS-c modulates skeletal muscle function by directly binding and activating CK2. iScience. 2024;27(11):111212. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39559755/
[9] Bolignano D, Greco M, Presta P, Duni A, et al. The Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide MOTS-c May Refine Mortality and Cardiovascular Risk Prediction in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: A Multicenter Cohort Study. Blood Purification. 2024;53(10):824-837. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39111290/
[10] Wan W, Zhang L, Lin Y, Rao X, Wang X, Hua F, Ying J. Mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c: effects and mechanisms related to stress, metabolism and aging. Journal of Translational Medicine. 2023;21(1):36. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36670507/
[11] Reynolds JC, Lai RW, Woodhead JST, Joly JH, Mitchell CJ, Cameron-Smith D, Lu R, Cohen P, Graham NA, Benayoun BA, Merry TL, Lee C. MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis. Nature Communications. 2021;12(1):470. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33473109/
[12] Kim KH, Son JM, Benayoun BA, Lee C. The Mitochondrial-Encoded Peptide MOTS-c Translocates to the Nucleus to Regulate Nuclear Gene Expression in Response to Metabolic Stress. Cell Metabolism. 2018;28(3):516-524.e7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29983246/
[13] Badran AS, et al. Body composition, hepatic fat, metabolic, and safety outcomes of Tesamorelin, a GHRH analogue, in HIV-associated lipodystrophy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice. 2026;20(1):2-12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41545261/
[14] National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (LiverTox). Tesamorelin - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. NCBI Bookshelf (NIH). 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548730/
[15] Stanley TL, Feldpausch MN, Oh J, Branch KL, Lee H, Torriani M, Grinspoon SK. Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2014;312(4):380-389. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25038357/
[16] Stanley TL, Chen CY, Branch KL, Makimura H, Grinspoon SK. Effects of a growth hormone-releasing hormone analog on endogenous GH pulsatility and insulin sensitivity in healthy men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2011;96(1):150-158. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20943777/
[17] Falutz J, Allas S, Mamputu JC, Potvin D, Kotler D, Somero M, Berger D, Brown S, Richmond G, Fessel J, Turner R, Grinspoon S. Long-term safety and effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue, in HIV patients with abdominal fat accumulation. AIDS. 2008;22(14):1719-1728. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18690162/

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A clinical briefing on metabolic research peptides — peer-reviewed citations, stated approval status, no doses and no products.