The short version of Stenabolic fits in a sentence. The long version — which is the one that helps — is below.
Reviewed 2025-08-13. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
Several misconceptions surround SR9009. It is often described as a SARM, a steroid, or an exercise pill, but its known target is the REV-ERB receptor family. Rodent studies have examined exercise capacity and metabolic markers, yet human outcomes remain unproven. Oral bioavailability appears low in animals, and human pharmacokinetics are not well characterized. Online products may contain impurities or different compounds, so identity and purity testing are important for research use.
Analytical chemists detect SR9009 with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, commonly abbreviated LC-MS/MS. Sample preparation may involve protein precipitation, liquid-liquid extraction, or solid-phase extraction before analysis. Laboratories can target the parent compound or its metabolites, depending on the matrix and the purpose of testing. Anti-doping methods require sensitive and specific assays because concentrations in biological samples can be low. Reference standards and validated methods are essential for reliable identification and quantification.
Regulatory agencies have not approved SR9009 for human therapeutic use. It is typically sold as a research chemical with labels stating that it is not for human consumption. The World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits the substance in sport, generally under the category of non-approved substances. Customs and national laws may restrict importation, sale, or possession. Product quality and legal status can vary by country and vendor, and therapeutic claims are not permitted in regulated advertising because the compound lacks approval.
Preclinical reports have linked SR9009 to improved endurance and altered energy expenditure in rodents. Such findings have prompted interest in whether REV-ERB activation can influence skeletal muscle metabolism. However, the reported effects depend on dose, route, and experimental model, and replication across laboratories is limited. Human trials have not established comparable outcomes, so claims about exercise performance remain speculative. The absence of controlled human data is a central limitation in interpreting these observations.
The mechanism of action involves binding to REV-ERB receptors and recruiting corepressor complexes, which represses target gene transcription. This contrasts with many nuclear receptor agonists that activate transcription. Downstream effects may include changes in autophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, and lipid handling, but the precise pathways remain an active area of study. Whether these molecular events translate into meaningful physiological effects in humans is unresolved. Most evidence comes from cultured cells and rodent models rather than human participants.
SR9009 is a synthetic small molecule developed as an agonist of the nuclear receptors REV-ERBα (NR1D1) and REV-ERBβ (NR1D2). These receptors help regulate circadian rhythms and metabolic gene expression. In cell and animal studies, SR9009 alters transcription of genes involved in lipid metabolism, inflammation, and mitochondrial function. It is not an approved medicine, and its pharmacological profile in humans remains largely uncharacterized. The compound is frequently discussed in the context of circadian biology and metabolic research rather than clinical use.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory status | Not approved for human use | Research-use-only status in many markets |
| WADA status | Prohibited in sport | Generally listed as a non-approved substance |
| Detection technique | LC-MS/MS | Common for urine and blood analysis |
| Common alias | Stenabolic | Informal market nickname, not a pharmacopoeial name |
| Purity check | HPLC or LC-UV | Independent certificate of analysis is typical |
SR9009 is a synthetic small molecule studied as an agonist of the nuclear receptors REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ. It is not a steroid, peptide, or natural hormone. In scientific literature, it appears under the code SR9009 and in non-scientific contexts as Stenabolic. The compound was identified through chemical screening efforts aimed at targeting circadian clock components. Its status remains investigational, and no regulatory agency has approved it as a human medicine.
REV-ERB proteins help regulate daily cycles in gene expression, including genes tied to lipid and glucose metabolism. SR9009 binds these receptors and alters their activity in cell and animal experiments. Consequences observed in rodents include changes in skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, blood lipid levels, and exercise performance. The precise chain from receptor occupancy to whole-body effects is still an active area of study. Human responses cannot be assumed from rodent data.
The word Pseudomonas means "false unit", from the Greek pseudēs (Greek: ψευδής, false) and (Latin: monas, from Greek: μονάς, a single unit). The stem word mon was used early in the history of microbiology to refer to microorganisms and germs, e.g., kingdom Monera. The species name aeruginosa is a Latin adjective form derived from the noun aerūgō meaning verdigris ("copper rust"), here applied in reference to the blue-green (verdigris-like) colour seen in laboratory cultures of the species. This blue-green pigment is a combination of two secondary metabolites of P. aeruginosa, pyocyanin (blue) and pyoverdine (green), which impart the blue-green characteristic color of cultures.
Long dsRNA (which can come from hairpin, complementary RNAs, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases) is cleaved by an endo-ribonuclease called Dicer. Dicer cuts the long dsRNA to form short interfering RNA or siRNA; this is what enables the molecules to form the RNA-Induced Silencing Complex (RISC). Once siRNA enters the cell, it gets incorporated into other proteins to form the RISC. Once the siRNA is part of the RISC complex, the siRNA is unwound to form single-stranded siRNA. The strand that is thermodynamically less stable due to its base pairing at the 5' end is chosen to remain part of the RISC complex. The single-stranded siRNA, which is part of the RISC complex, can now scan and find a complementary mRNA. Once the single-stranded siRNA (part of the RISC complex) binds to its target mRNA, it induces mRNA cleavage. The mRNA is now cut and recognized as abnormal by the cell. This causes degradation of the mRNA and, in turn, no translation of the mRNA into amino acids and then proteins, thus silencing the gene that encodes that mRNA. siRNA is also similar to miRNA; however, miRNAs are derived from shorter stemloop RNA products. miRNAs typically silence genes by repression of translation and have broader specificity of action, while siRNAs typically work with higher specificity by cleaving the mRNA before translation, with 100% complementarity.
== In popular culture == In the book Ozempic, la révolution de l'obésité ̶L’enquête, entitled A race for patents and Nobel Prizes, author Fabrice Delaye dedicates the third chapter to Mojsov. Delaye summarizes: “In 1982, the identification in animals of the slimming molecule GLP-1 triggered a fierce competition between Danish and American researchers to find it in humans.” It was in large part thanks to Mojsov’s critical contribution - she was the first to identify and synthesize the correct molecule - that the American team succeeded first. The second chapter of Off the Scales: The Inside Story of Ozempic and the Race to Cure Obesity by Aimee Donnellan focuses on Svetlana Mojsov’s fundamental contribution to the discovery of GLP-1. It also details her experience with her collaborators at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the challenges she has faced to be acknowledged and included in the patents.
=== Eugenics === Crick occasionally expressed his views on eugenics, usually in private letters. For example, Crick advocated a form of positive eugenics in which wealthy parents would be encouraged to have more children. He once remarked, "In the long run, it is unavoidable that society will begin to worry about the character of the next generation ... It is not a subject at the moment which we can tackle easily because people have so many religious beliefs and until we have a more uniform view of ourselves I think it would be risky to try and do anything in the way of eugenics ... I would be astonished if, in the next 100 or 200 years, society did not come round to the view that they would have to try to improve the next generation in some extent or one way or another."
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Clinical significance == Mice with mutant carboxypeptidase E, Cpefat, display endocrine disorders like obesity and infertility. In some strains of mice, the fat mutation also causes hyperproinsulinemia in adult male mice, but this is not found in all strains of mice. The obesity and infertility in the Cpefat mice develop with age; young mice (<8 weeks of age) are fertile and have normal body weight. Peptide processing in Cpefat mice is impaired, with a large accumulation of peptides with C-terminal lysine and/or arginine extensions. Levels of the mature forms of peptides are generally reduced in these mice, but not eliminated. It is thought that a related enzyme (carboxypeptidase D) also contributes to neuropeptide processing and gives rise to the mature peptides in the Cpefat mice. Mutations in the CPE gene are not common within the human population, but have been identified. One patient with extreme obesity (Body Mass Index >50) was found to have a mutation that deleted nearly the entire CPE gene. This patient had intellectual disability (inability to read or write) and had abnormal glucose homeostasis, similar to mice lacking CPE activity. In obesity, high levels of circulating free fatty acids have been reported to cause a decrease in the amount of carboxypeptidase E protein in pancreatic beta-cells, leading to beta-cell dysfunction (hyperproinsulinemia) and increased beta-cell apoptosis (via an increase in ER stress).
==== Less common side effects ==== Because these drugs act on parts of the blood and blood vessels, they tend to have side effects that affect these processes. Aside from problems with hemorrhage and hypertension, less common side effects of these drugs include dry, itchy skin, hand-foot syndrome (tender, thickened areas on the skin, sometimes with blisters on palms and soles), diarrhea, fatigue, and low blood counts. Angiogenesis inhibitors can also interfere with wound healing and cause cuts to re-open or bleed. Rarely, perforations (holes) in the intestines can occur.
== Medical applications == Vitamin E has been suggested as a supplement for helping many health conditions, mostly due to its antioxidant activity and potential to protect cells from oxidative damage. In the US, the vitamin is widely available as an over-the-counter supplement; however, medical evidence supporting its effectiveness and safety for treating or preventing a variety of health conditions is mixed. Vitamin E can also interact with some medications and other supplements. Vitamin E has been studied as a treatment for skin health and skin ageing, immune function, and managing conditions like cardiovascular disease or Alzheimer's disease (AD), or certain types of cancer. Most studies have found limited or inconclusive benefits and the potential for some risks. It is most often recommended to obtain vitamin E through a balanced diet because high-dose supplementation may have health risks. There is evidence that the sale of dietary supplement vitamin E has decreased by up to 33% following a report showing little or no effect of vitamin E in preventing cancer or cardiovascular disease. In 2023, it was the 290th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 500,000 prescriptions.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== World production of ethylene oxide === The world production of ethylene oxide was 20 Mt (22 million short tons) in 2009, 19 Mt (21 million short tons) in 2008 and 18 Mt (20 million short tons) in 2007. This places ethylene oxide 14th most produced organic chemical, whereas the most produced one was ethylene with 113 Mt (125 million short tons). SRI Consulting forecasted the growth of consumption of ethylene oxide of 4.4% per year during 2008–2013 and 3% from 2013 to 2018. In 2004, the global production of ethylene oxide by region was as follows:
==== Cone snail and fish insulin ==== Conus geographus produces a distinct form of insulin that is more similar to fish insulin protein sequences than to insulin from more closely related molluscs, suggesting convergent evolution, though with the possibility of horizontal gene transfer.
=== Homeostasis === Almost all cells have a sodium–potassium pump transporting sodium ions out and potassium ions in, maintaining a balance in a narrow range of concentrations essential to cell function. This internal homeostasis mechanism requires an external homeostasis mechanism to maintain the concentration of potassium ions in plasma in the intercellular space. External homeostasis is primarily provided by the kidneys.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Legality depends on the country and the intended use. In many places it is not approved as a medicine and may be sold only as a research chemical. Importation or possession can be restricted, and sports organizations prohibit it.
Anti-doping laboratories typically use LC-MS/MS to detect SR9009 or its metabolites in urine or blood. The exact assay depends on the laboratory and the testing program. Detection can be challenging because the compound may be rapidly metabolized and present at low levels.
Stenabolic is an informal nickname used in online fitness and research-chemical markets, not an official drug name. It likely references reported effects on endurance in rodent studies. The nickname does not imply approval or proven human benefit.
It is a synthetic compound that acts as an agonist at REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ. It is used mainly as a research chemical to study circadian and metabolic pathways. It is not approved for human therapeutic use.