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KPV

Alpha-MSH C-terminal tripeptide

Also known as Lys-Pro-Val, alpha-MSH(11-13)

The three-residue anti-inflammatory tail of alpha-MSH, with consistent preclinical gut and skin data and no completed human trial.

Sold inside: KLOW . Named blends. No trial has tested those combinations.

Guide updated Sep 2, 2026Literature checked Sep 2, 20261 curated study16 literature recordsBaseline editorial
SequenceKPV

This entry is preclinical

There is no completed human trial reporting results for this compound. Everything below describes what has been observed in animals or in cell culture, and the transfer rate from those findings to humans is poor. Read the limitations on each study, not just the findings.

Overview

In shortThe tail end of a natural anti-inflammatory hormone. The full hormone has well-characterised anti-inflammatory activity, and this fragment appears to keep much of it while losing the skin-darkening effects. That separation is genuinely interesting. The animal data is reasonably consistent, and human data is absent.

KPV is the C-terminal tripeptide of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Alpha-MSH has well-characterised anti-inflammatory activity, and this fragment appears to retain a good deal of it while lacking the pigmentation effects that come from MC1R activation by the full hormone.

That separation is genuinely interesting: an anti-inflammatory effect decoupled from the melanocortin effects that make the parent hormone unsuitable. The preclinical data is reasonably consistent. Human data is absent.

Mechanism

In shortIt appears to work partly through routes that bypass the usual receptors, acting inside the cell on a central controller of inflammatory genes. Work in gut tissue suggests it is taken up by a transporter that becomes more active in inflamed intestine, which would give it some natural selectivity for inflamed gut. Whether that matters at the amounts actually achievable is not established.

KPV appears to act partly through mechanisms independent of the classical melanocortin receptors, including intracellular effects on NF-kB signalling, which is a central regulator of inflammatory gene expression.

Work in intestinal epithelium suggests uptake via the peptide transporter PepT1, which is upregulated in inflamed intestinal tissue, offering a plausible route to relative selectivity for inflamed gut. Whether that is meaningful at achievable exposures is not established.

Evidence

In shortAnimal work. Models of colitis report less inflammation and better tissue appearance, and skin models report anti-inflammatory effects applied topically. No completed human trial exists for anything, though it appears in some cosmetic products, a category that requires no evidence of effect. The animal picture is more coherent than several other entries at this level.

Preclinical. Animal models of colitis report reduced inflammation and improved histology, and dermatological models report anti-inflammatory effects with topical application.

There is no completed randomised controlled trial in humans for any indication. The compound appears in some cosmetic formulations, which is a regulatory category that requires no efficacy evidence.

The preclinical picture is more coherent than several other entries at this level, which is worth acknowledging without treating it as human evidence.

Safety

In shortNo meaningful human safety data. Animal work has not thrown up notable toxicity, and the parent hormone's anti-inflammatory activity is well understood, but neither substitutes for human data. The general caution for anything anti-inflammatory applies: damping inflammation long-term has consequences for fighting infection and for immune surveillance, and nobody has characterised those here.

No meaningful human safety data. Animal work has not produced notable toxicity signals, and the parent hormone's anti-inflammatory activity is well characterised, but neither substitutes for human data.

The mechanistic caution is general to anti-inflammatory agents: sustained suppression of inflammatory signalling has consequences for infection response and immune surveillance, and nobody has characterised those here.

Research-grade material, unverified identity and purity.

Regulatory status

In shortNot approved as a medicine anywhere. Appears in some cosmetic products under cosmetic rather than medicine rules.

Not approved as a therapeutic anywhere. Appears in some cosmetic products under cosmetic rather than pharmaceutical regulation.

The literature

1 study indexed. Findings and limitations get equal weight, on purpose.

Always check the primary source

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The KPV literature needs an account

Everything above is free to read. What an account opens is the evidence underneath it: 1 study with their limitations, and the regimen each trial actually reported.

  • Every study, with what it found and what it cannot show
  • The limitations, given the same weight as the findings
  • The dose each named trial administered, where recorded
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The wider literature

16 indexed papers and 0 registered trials mentioning KPV, straight from PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov. These have not been read by us. Unlike the studies above, they carry no findings and no limitations written by anyone here, because writing either would mean claiming a reading nobody has done. They are a starting point for yours.

Papers (16)

  1. NLRP3 autophagic degradation disruption in melanocytes contributes to vitiligo development.

    Zeng K, et al.Cell death and differentiation2026PMID 40935835

    journal article

  2. Inflammation-triggered self-immolative conjugates enable oral peptide delivery by overcoming gastrointestinal barriers.

    Cheng J, et al.Science advances2026PMID 41533788

    journal article

  3. Lysine-proline-valine peptide attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation through ROS-dependent regulation of the PPARγ pathway in HepG2 cells.

    Lee JY, et al.Cytotechnology2026PMID 42064835

    journal article

  4. A new era of doping? Use of peptide and peptide-analog drugs in recreational and professional sport and bodybuilding: a critical review.

    Coutinho LFD, et al.The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness2026PMID 41880199

    journal articlereview

  5. Lysine-Proline-Valine peptide mitigates fine dust-induced keratinocyte apoptosis and inflammation by regulating oxidative stress and modulating the MAPK/NF-κB pathway.

    Sung J, et al.Tissue & cell2025PMID 40073467

    journal article

  6. KPV and RAPA Self-Assembled into Carrier-Free Nanodrugs for Vascular Calcification Therapy.

    Zhang L, et al.Advanced healthcare materials2024PMID 39252648

    journal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

  7. Vimentin is required for tumor progression and metastasis in a mouse model of non-small cell lung cancer.

    Berr AL, et al.Oncogene2023PMID 37161053

    journal articleresearch support, n.i.h., extramuralresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

  8. Hydrocortisone to Improve Survival without Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

    Watterberg KL, et al.The New England journal of medicine2022PMID 35320643

    journal articlemulticenter studyrandomized controlled trialresearch support, n.i.h., extramuralresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

  9. International Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Adrenoleukodystrophy: A Consensus-Based Approach.

    Engelen M, et al.Neurology2022PMID 36175155

    consensus statementjournal articleresearch support, n.i.h., extramuralresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

  10. Trial of Erythropoietin for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy in Newborns.

    Wu YW, et al.The New England journal of medicine2022PMID 35830641

    journal articlemulticenter studyrandomized controlled trial

  11. Biomimetic Melanosomes Promote Orientation-Selective Delivery and Melanocyte Pigmentation in the H(2)O(2)-Induced Vitiligo Mouse Model.

    Sun MC, et al.ACS nano2021PMID 34662120

    journal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

  12. Stunting is not a synonym of malnutrition.

    Scheffler C, et al.European journal of clinical nutrition2020PMID 31142828

    journal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

  13. Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis.

    Pakzad-Vaezi K, et al.Current opinion in ophthalmology2017PMID 28806188

    journal articlereview

  14. Peptide Receptor-Targeted Fluorescent Probe: Visualization and Discrimination between Chronic and Acute Ulcerative Colitis.

    Zeng M, et al.ACS applied materials & interfaces2017PMID 28349696

    journal article

  15. alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone, MSH 11-13 KPV and adrenocorticotropic hormone signalling in human keratinocyte cells.

    Elliott RJ, et al.The Journal of investigative dermatology2004PMID 15102092

    journal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

  16. The neuroimmunomodulatory peptide alpha-MSH.

    Ichiyama T, et al.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences2000PMID 11268347

    journal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov'tresearch support, u.s. gov't, p.h.s.review

Discussion

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Research & LiteratureDiscussion

Everything we have on KPV came out of an animal or a dish

KPV is an Alpha MSH C terminal tripeptide and the guide rates it preclinical. That word is d…

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For Research & Educational Discussion Only. Not Medical Advice

This guide is educational reference material compiled from published literature. It is not medical advice, not a recommendation, and not a substitute for a clinician who knows your history. Nothing here should be used to make a decision about your own health without one.

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