FOXO4-DRI: Senolytic Peptide Research Guide (2026)
Last updated
Introduction (research-only scope)
FOXO4 in this catalog refers to FOXO4-DRI, a designed retro-inverso peptide built to interfere with the interaction between the transcription factor FOXO4 and p53 inside senescent cells. It is the best known experimental senolytic peptide and rests almost entirely on a single influential paper. This guide explains the design, that evidence, and what has and has not followed.
Research use only. The material described here is a laboratory reagent for in-vitro research by qualified professionals. It is not a medicine, supplement, cosmetic ingredient or veterinary product, is not for human or animal use, and nothing on this page is medical advice or a claim of effect in any person.
What is FOXO4?
FOXO4-DRI (molecular mass 5358.05, CAS 2460055-10-9) is built from D-amino acids in reverse sequence, a retro-inverso design that resists proteolysis while presenting a similar side-chain topology to the natural peptide. Peptra Labs supplies it as a lyophilised research reagent, 10 mg per vial.
How the reported mechanism works
Disrupting the FOXO4-p53 interaction
In senescent cells, FOXO4 is reported to sequester p53 in the nucleus and keep those cells alive despite damage. The peptide was designed to compete with that binding, releasing p53 and allowing apoptosis of senescent cells selectively.
Why senescent cells are a target
The senolytic hypothesis holds that clearing senescent cells removes a source of inflammatory signalling in aged tissue; FOXO4-DRI is one probe for that hypothesis, not a proof of it. A 2026 review in Antioxidants revisits FOXO4 itself as a redox-sensitive regulator, which is useful background on the target rather than the peptide.
What the published evidence covers
The 2017 Cell paper reported targeted apoptosis of senescent cells and functional improvements in aged and chemotoxicity mouse models. It is a strong paper, and it is also, essentially, the evidence base: independent replication at the same scale has been limited, and there are no human trials. A research buyer should treat FOXO4-DRI as a tool for testing the senolytic hypothesis in their own system, not as an established intervention.
How to verify a FOXO4 research peptide is real and pure
Two tests answer two different questions: mass spectrometry confirms identity (expected molecular mass 5358.05), HPLC quantifies purity. Our specification is at least 98%. Check the batch number printed on your vial against the lab reports archive: where a batch has been tested, its report is published there and links to the testing laboratory’s own verification page. If your batch is not listed yet, ask us for its documentation before use; a “typical” certificate is not evidence for a specific vial. See how to read a certificate of analysis.
Storage and reconstitution
Store the lyophilised material sealed, dry and protected from light at 2 to 8 °C for routine laboratory use, colder for long-term archiving. After reconstitution with bacteriostatic water, keep refrigerated and use within the window your protocol defines; repeated freeze-thaw cycles degrade peptides. General handling for all our reagents is in the peptide storage protocol.
Regulatory status
FOXO4-DRI is not an authorised medicine anywhere. It is not named individually on the WADA Prohibited List, but section S0 covers substances without approval for human therapeutic use. Research-grade material supplied here is not a medicine and is for in-vitro laboratory use only. The wider framework, including anti-doping status, is described in the peptide risk profile.
Why labs choose our FOXO4
Batch-numbered vials, published reports where a batch has been tested, shipping from an EU warehouse with tracking (no customs inside the EU) and prices shown with VAT included. Product page: FOXO4 10 mg. Country-by-country sourcing questions are covered in the buyer guide Buy FOXO4 in Europe.
References
- Baar MP et al. Targeted Apoptosis of Senescent Cells Restores Tissue Homeostasis in Response to Chemotoxicity and Aging. Cell. 2017. PubMed 28340339
- FOXO4 as a Redox-Sensitive Regulator of Antioxidant Defense and Cellular Senescence. Antioxidants. 2026. PubMed 42510573