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Sr9009 Identity And Mechanism — Explained

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-04-21 · last reviewed 2026-05-28 · Blog

This is a working overview of circadian clock, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.

This page was last updated on 2026-05-28 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.

SR9009 Identity and Mechanism

SR9009 is a synthetic small molecule that acts on the nuclear receptors REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ. These receptors are part of the circadian clock machinery and normally repress transcription of certain target genes. In laboratory research, SR9009 is used as a chemical tool to study how REV-ERB activity influences metabolism, inflammation, and daily biological rhythms. The compound is not an approved medicine, and its effects in humans remain largely uncharacterized. It is often described as an investigational agent rather than a therapeutic product.

REV-ERB proteins typically suppress gene expression by recruiting corepressor complexes to DNA response elements. SR9009 binds these receptors and strengthens that repressive action in cell-based assays. Studies in rodents have reported changes in lipid handling, mitochondrial function, and exercise capacity after treatment. Such findings are often cited as evidence for metabolic effects, but species differences and limited pharmacokinetic data make direct translation to humans uncertain. Researchers continue to examine which effects are robust and which depend on specific experimental conditions.

SR9009 is frequently discussed alongside other REV-ERB ligands, including synthetic agonists and natural heme-related molecules. Its selectivity for REV-ERB over related nuclear receptors has been measured in binding and reporter assays, though off-target activity at higher concentrations is possible. The compound is prohibited in sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and it is not approved for any medical use in major jurisdictions. Products sold online may be labeled as research chemicals, and their identity and purity are not guaranteed by regulatory review.

Background and Pharmacological Mechanism

Research interest in SR9009 grew from studies showing improved running endurance in mice after short treatment periods. Those experiments linked the compound to increased mitochondrial content and fatty acid oxidation in muscle, but the findings come from animal models and specific dosing schedules. Independent replication has been limited, and the pathways connecting REV-ERB activation to exercise performance are still being mapped. Whether similar responses occur in humans is an open question.

SR9009 is often grouped with compounds studied for circadian and metabolic regulation rather than with classical anabolic steroids. Its interactions with nuclear receptors differ from those of androgen receptor ligands, and its proposed mechanisms involve transcriptional control rather than direct hormone signaling. Some sources classify it as a metabolic modulator because of observed effects on energy utilization. The distinction matters for regulation and for interpreting research results across different compound classes.

SR9009 is a synthetic small molecule developed as a REV-ERB agonist. It binds to REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ, nuclear receptors that help regulate circadian rhythms and metabolic gene expression. In cell and animal studies, the compound alters lipid and glucose handling and influences skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. Its exact effects in humans remain largely uncharacterized because controlled clinical trials have not been reported. The molecule is frequently described in preclinical literature as a metabolic modulator.

Sr9009 at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Common nameSR9009Also marketed informally as Stenabolic
Chemical classSynthetic REV-ERB agonistBinds REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ
Molecular formulaC24H30ClN3O4SApproximate molecular weight 492 g/mol
CAS Registry Number1379686-30-2Identifier for the parent compound
Regulatory statusNot approved for human useProhibited in sport by WADA

Background and Receptor Mechanism

Laboratory studies often administer SR9009 by injection because oral absorption appears poor in rodents. Reported pharmacokinetic properties include rapid metabolism and low systemic exposure after oral dosing. Human pharmacokinetic data are sparse, so absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion in people are not well defined. Some research explores related REV-ERB compounds with improved drug-like properties. Regulatory approval for any REV-ERB agonist as a human medicine has not been granted to date.

SR9009 is a synthetic small molecule studied as an agonist of the nuclear receptors REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ, also called NR1D1 and NR1D2. These receptors help regulate circadian rhythms and metabolic gene programs. The compound was developed for laboratory research, not as an approved therapeutic. Its identity is distinct from steroid hormones and selective androgen receptor modulators. Scientific interest centers on how REV-ERB activation changes gene expression in cells and animal models.

At the molecular level, SR9009 binds the ligand-binding domain of REV-ERB and strengthens recruitment of corepressor proteins such as NCoR and HDAC3. This increases repression of target genes, including Bmal1 and other clock-controlled and metabolic genes. In rodent studies, such changes have been linked to altered lipid handling, glucose metabolism, and energy expenditure. The precise chain of events between receptor binding and whole-body effects remains an active area of research. Findings in animals do not automatically translate to humans.

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Background and Receptor Pharmacology

Research interest in SR9009 grew from studies of circadian biology and metabolic disease. Preclinical reports describe effects on exercise capacity, muscle metabolism, and blood lipid levels in rodents, but these findings come from controlled laboratory settings. The compound has low oral bioavailability in animals, which limits systemic exposure after swallowing. Investigators often use injected routes in experiments to achieve measurable plasma concentrations. Human clinical data are sparse, no approved therapeutic product exists, and whether animal effects translate to humans remains an open question.

Regulatory and sporting contexts treat SR9009 as a prohibited substance in many elite competitions. Its presence on banned lists reflects concerns about performance enhancement and unknown long-term safety. Analytical chemists have developed methods to detect the parent compound and its metabolites in urine and blood. Literature discussions distinguish between in vitro potency, animal pharmacology, and anecdotal human reports. The latter are difficult to verify because products sold online may lack purity or contain different compounds.

Supporting material

Viral induction of apoptosis occurs when one or several cells of a living organism are infected with a virus, leading to cell death. Cell death in organisms is necessary for the normal development of cells and the cell cycle maturation. It is also important in maintaining the regular functions and activities of cells. Viruses can trigger apoptosis of infected cells via a range of mechanisms including:

Outer membrane proteins are membrane proteins with key roles associated with bacterial cell structure and morphology; cell membrane homeostasis; the uptake of nutrients; protection of the cell from toxins including antibiotics; and virulence factors including adhesins, exotoxins, and biofilm formation. There are a number of outer membrane proteins that are specifically virulence-related. Outer membrane proteins consist of two major classes of protein - transmembrane proteins and lipoproteins. The transmembrane proteins form channels or pores in the membrane called porins, and actively pumping efflux channels. The outer membranes of a bacterium can contain a huge number of proteins. In E. Coli for example there are around 500,000 in the membrane. Bacterial outer membrane proteins typically have a unique beta barrel structure that spans the membrane. The beta barrels fold to expose a hydrophobic surface before their insertion into the outer membrane. Beta barrels vary in sequence and size that ranges from 8 to 36 beta strands. A subset of OMPs have a perisplasmic or an extracellular link to their beta barrel structure. An outer membrane protein is translocated across the inner membrane through Sec machinery, and finally inserted to the outer membrane by the barrel assembly machinery complex.

Ansuvimab was developed by the Vaccine Research Center with support of the United States National Institutes of Health and the Defense Advanced Projects Agency. The heavy and light chain sequences of ansuvimab mAb were cloned into CHO cell lines to enable large-scale production of antibody product for use in humans. In early 2018, a Phase 1 clinical trial of ansuvimab's safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics was conducted by Dr. Martin Gaudinski within the Vaccine Research Center Clinical Trials Program that is led by Dr. Julie E. Ledgerwood. The study was performed in the United States at the NIH Clinical Center and tested single dose infusions of ansuvimab infused over 30 minutes. The study showed that ansuvimab was safe, had minimal side effects and had a half-life of 24 days. A license for ansuvimab was obtained by Ridgeback Biotherapeutics in 2018, from the National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Ansuvimab was given orphan drug status in May 2019 and March 2020.

Korvezee was the youngest of two daughters of the pastor Willem Korvezee (1858–1913) and his wife Baukje Andringa (1874–1952). Her older sister, Elisabeth “Bets” Korvezee, later became the first female national archivist in the Netherlands. After their father's death in 1913, the family lived in The Hague, where both sisters attended the third municipal HBS, known as the “HBS-voor-jongens” (boys’ HBS), and Antonia showed particular talent for mathematics. She went on to study chemical technology at the Delft Institute of Technology, graduating cum laude in 1922. She then worked as an assistant, first in the department of analytical chemistry and from 1924 to 1938 in the laboratory of Scheffer. Under Frans Everhardus Cornelis Scheffer, she completed her doctorate cum laude in 1930 with a thesis titled “Copper chlorides as a catalyst for the Deacon process.” Between 1930 and 1932, she spent two six-month periods in Paris conducting research on radioactivity in Marie Curie’s laboratory. In 1935, her temporary appointment at Delft was made permanent, and she was appointed lecturer in radioactive decay. Korvezee was passed over for a professorship three times, first nominated in 1936 for the chair of analytical chemistry, and again in 1940 for the chair of physical chemistry despite ranking third in the nomination process.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Supporting material

Amyloid is formed through the polymerization of hundreds to thousands of monomeric peptides or proteins into long fibers. Amyloid formation involves a lag phase (also called nucleation phase), an exponential phase (also called growth phase) and a plateau phase (also called saturation phase), as shown in the figure. When the quantity of fibrils is plotted versus time, a sigmoidal time course is observed reflecting the three distinct phases. In the simplest model of 'nucleated polymerization' (marked by red arrows in the figure below), individual unfolded or partially unfolded polypeptide chains (monomers) convert into a nucleus (monomer or oligomer) via a thermodynamically unfavourable process that occurs early in the lag phase. Fibrils grow subsequently from these nuclei through the addition of monomers in the exponential phase. A different model, called 'nucleated conformational conversion' and marked by blue arrows in the figure below, was introduced later on to fit some experimental observations: monomers have often been found to convert rapidly into misfolded and highly disorganized oligomers distinct from nuclei. Only later on, will these aggregates reorganise structurally into nuclei, on which other disorganised oligomers will add and reorganise through a templating or induced-fit mechanism (this 'nucleated conformational conversion' model), eventually forming fibrils.

Even with all the precautions taken by medical professionals, infection reportedly occurs in up to 13.9% of patients after stabilization of an open fracture, and in about 0.5-2% of patients who receive joint prostheses. To reduce these numbers, the surfaces of the devices used in these procedures have been altered in hopes of preventing the growth of the bacteria that leads to these infections. This has been achieved by coating titanium devices with an antiseptic combination of chlorhexidine and chloroxylenol. This antiseptic combination successfully prevents the growth of the five main organisms that cause medical-related infections, which include Staphylococcus epidermidis, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. Peptide-based gel coating with intrinsic antibacterial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, was also shown to inhibit colonization of titanium implants in mice.

In 1979 Zaffaroni was awarded the Chemical Pioneer Award by the American Institute of Chemists In 1995, he received the National Medal of Technology from President Bill Clinton for his contributions to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. In 2004, he was one of the recipients of the Winthrop-Sears Medal from the Chemical Heritage Foundation and The Chemists’ Club, with George Rosenkranz. In 2005 he received the Bower Award for Business Leadership from the Franklin Institute for his creation of new biochemical processes and drug delivery technologies. In 2005 he was awarded the Gregory Pincus Award from the Worcester Foundation. In 2006, he received the Biotechnology Heritage Award, from the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Chemical Heritage Foundation.

Amitabha Chattopadhyay is an Indian scientist working in the areas of membrane and receptor biology and biophysics . He is presently a CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow at the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology and served as the founding dean of biological sciences at the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR). In addition, he is a distinguished visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, adjunct professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (Kolkata), Swinburne University of Technology (Australia), and honorary professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (Bangalore). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2013 and Royal Society of Biology in 2017. Chattopadhyay has authored more than 300 research papers and has an h-index of 65. In 2016, Chattopadhyay won The World Academy of Sciences in Biology for his seminal contribution in understanding the role of membrane cholesterol in the organization and function in healthy and diseased conditions.

Homopolymers of amino acids (such as polylysine) can adopt α-helical structure at low temperature that is "melted out" at high temperatures. This helix–coil transition was once thought to be analogous to protein denaturation. The statistical mechanics of this transition can be modeled using an elegant transfer matrix method, characterized by two parameters: the propensity to initiate a helix and the propensity to extend a helix.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Notes from published material

Inhibition of apoptosis can result in a number of cancers, inflammatory diseases, and viral infections. It was originally believed that the associated accumulation of cells was due to an increase in cellular proliferation, but it is now known that it is also due to a decrease in cell death. The most common of these diseases is cancer, the disease of excessive cellular proliferation, which is often characterized by an overexpression of IAP family members. As a result, the malignant cells experience an abnormal response to apoptosis induction: Cycle-regulating genes (such as p53, ras or c-myc) are mutated or inactivated in diseased cells, and further genes (such as bcl-2) also modify their expression in tumors. Some apoptotic factors are vital during mitochondrial respiration e.g. cytochrome C. Pathological inactivation of apoptosis in cancer cells is correlated with frequent respiratory metabolic shifts toward glycolysis (an observation known as the "Warburg hypothesis".

Individual transmembrane adenylyl cyclase isoforms have been linked to numerous physiological functions. Soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC, AC10) has a critical role in sperm motility. Adenylyl cyclase has been implicated in memory formation, functioning as a coincidence detector. AC-IV was first reported in the bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila, and the structure of the AC-IV from Yersinia pestis has been reported. These are the smallest of the AC enzyme classes; the AC-IV (CyaB) from Yersinia is a dimer of 19 kDa subunits with no known regulatory components (PDB: 2FJT​). AC-IV forms a superfamily with mammalian thiamine-triphosphatase called CYTH (CyaB, thiamine triphosphatase). These forms of AC have been reported in specific bacteria (Prevotella ruminicola O68902 and Rhizobium etli Q8KY20, respectively) and have not been extensively characterized. There are a few extra members (~400 in Pfam) known to be in class VI. Class VI enzymes possess a catalytic core similar to the one in Class III.

Treatments aiming to inhibit works to block specific caspases. Finally, the Akt protein kinase promotes cell survival through two pathways. Akt phosphorylates and inhibits Bad (a Bcl-2 family member), causing Bad to interact with the 14-3-3 scaffold, resulting in Bcl dissociation and thus cell survival. Akt also activates IKKα, which leads to NF-κB activation and cell survival. Active NF-κB induces the expression of anti-apoptotic genes such as Bcl-2, resulting in inhibition of apoptosis. NF-κB has been found to play both an antiapoptotic role and a proapoptotic role depending on the stimuli utilized and the cell type. The progression of the human immunodeficiency virus infection into AIDS is due primarily to the depletion of CD4+ T-helper lymphocytes in a manner that is too rapid for the body's bone marrow to replenish the cells, leading to a compromised immune system. One of the mechanisms by which T-helper cells are depleted is apoptosis, which results from a series of biochemical pathways:

In 1884, Svante Arrhenius attributed the properties of acidity to hydrogen cations (H+), later described as protons or hydrons. An Arrhenius acid is a substance that, when added to water, increases the concentration of H+ ions in the water. Chemists often write H+(aq) and refer to the hydrogen cation when describing acid–base reactions but the free hydrogen nucleus, a proton, does not exist alone in water, it exists as the hydronium ion (H3O+) or other forms (H5O2+, H9O4+). Thus, an Arrhenius acid can also be described as a substance that increases the concentration of hydronium ions when added to water. Examples include molecular substances such as hydrogen chloride and acetic acid. An Arrhenius base, on the other hand, is a substance that increases the concentration of hydroxide (OH−) ions when dissolved in water. This decreases the concentration of hydronium because the ions react to form H2O molecules:

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

What is SR9009?

SR9009 is a synthetic research compound that binds and modulates the nuclear receptors REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ. It is used in laboratory studies of circadian biology and metabolism, not as an approved medicine. It is also known by the informal name Stenabolic.

Is SR9009 approved for human use?

No. SR9009 has not been approved as a therapeutic drug in the United States, European Union, or other major markets. Human safety and efficacy data are very limited. Its presence in consumer products does not imply regulatory approval.

Why is SR9009 banned in sport?

The World Anti-Doping Agency lists SR9009 as a prohibited substance because it can alter gene expression and metabolic pathways relevant to performance. The ban applies at all times, not only during competition. Detection relies on laboratory methods such as mass spectrometry.

What is SR9009?

It is a synthetic REV-ERB agonist used mainly in preclinical research. It is not an approved medicine for human use.

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