Overview
A designed senolytic that kills senescent cells by disrupting the protein interaction keeping them alive. The mouse results — restored fur density, improved renal function, recovered fitness in aged animals — are among the most visually striking in aging research. There is no human data.
Not approved for human use anywhereNo approval anywhere for human use. Sold under research-use labelling. Not approved anywhere.
| Regulatory status | Preclinical senolytic research compound. No human trials. Not approved. |
|---|---|
| Drug class | Retro-inverso D-amino acid peptide targeting the FOXO4-p53 interaction |
| Route | Intravenous or intraperitoneal (research) |
| Half-life | Extended relative to L-peptides due to D-amino acid composition |
| Evidence rating |
1/5 Minimal
Evidence rating 1 out of 5: Minimal
Animal or laboratory data only. No human efficacy evidence. |
| Studied in | Mouse studies in naturally aged, fast-aging (Xpd) and chemotherapy-treated animals. No human studies. |
How it works
Senescent cells sequester p53 in the nucleus via FOXO4 to avoid apoptosis. This retro-inverso peptide competitively disrupts that interaction, releasing p53 and triggering apoptosis selectively in senescent cells while sparing healthy ones.
Evidence base
Rated 1 of 5 — Minimal. Animal or laboratory data only. No human efficacy evidence.
- Landmark mouse study; no clinical translation.
Benefits & potential uses
Bars indicate how well each claim is supported: three = strong human evidence, two = moderate, one = preliminary or preclinical.
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Selective senescent cell clearance in mice Preliminary
Demonstrated targeted apoptosis of senescent cells with sparing of normal cells in animal models.
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Reversal of aging phenotypes in mice Preliminary
Restored fur density, renal function and physical fitness in aged mice — a landmark preclinical result.
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D-amino acid stability Preliminary
Retro-inverso design resists proteolysis, addressing a common peptide limitation.
Risks, cons & cautions
Bars indicate seriousness: three = serious or common, two = moderate, one = minor.
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No human data at all Serious
Not one human has been dosed in a published trial. Nothing is known about human safety.
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p53 activation is a blunt instrument Serious
Releasing p53 broadly can trigger apoptosis in stressed but healthy cells; the selectivity margin in humans is unknown.
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Senescent cells have useful functions Serious
They participate in wound healing and tumour suppression; indiscriminate clearance is not automatically beneficial.
-
Complex and expensive synthesis Serious
Products sold cheaply online are unlikely to be the actual compound at meaningful purity.
Who should avoid it
- All human use outside a formal clinical trial
If used under medical supervision, monitor
- Not applicable
Regulatory & legal status
Not approved anywhere.
Infographic
Where to read further
We link to live literature searches rather than a frozen citation list, so you always see current results — including anything published after our last review.
- PubMed — all published literature on FOXO4-DRI
- PubMed — randomized controlled trials only
- ClinicalTrials.gov — registered human trials
Related peptides in Longevity & Mitochondrial
Terms used on this page
- Preclinical Study and Animal Model
- Preclinical studies are the laboratory, cell and animal experiments done before any human exposure, establishing mechanism, target engagement and the toxicology package that permits a first trial.
- Enzymatic Degradation
- Enzymatic degradation is the breakdown of a peptide by proteases and peptidases in gut, blood, tissue and kidney, and it is the main reason unmodified peptides act only briefly.
- Receptor Selectivity
- Receptor selectivity is the degree to which a ligand acts on its intended receptor rather than related ones, expressed as the ratio between its potency at the target and at each off-target.
This page is educational information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your medical history, medications, or risk factors. Do not start, stop or change any treatment based on it. Speak to a qualified healthcare professional who knows your case.