KPV
Also known as: Lysine-Proline-Valine, Lys-Pro-Val, alpha-MSH(11-13), α-MSH C-terminal tripeptide
A tripeptide fragment of the hormone alpha-MSH marketed for anti-inflammatory and gut-health effects. Its anti-inflammatory activity is well documented in cell and animal models, but there is no controlled human evidence, and it is sold as a research chemical.
Not approved by the FDA for any use and sold for laboratory research only. There are no approved KPV products; oral, topical, and injectable versions marketed to consumers are unregulated research chemicals.
What it is
KPV is a tripeptide — three amino acids, lysine-proline-valine — corresponding to the C-terminal fragment (positions 11–13) of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH). It keeps the parent hormone’s anti-inflammatory activity while shedding its pigment-stimulating effect. Mechanistically it is taken up by intestinal cells through the PepT1 transporter and appears to damp inflammatory signaling (NF-κB and MAP-kinase pathways) inside the cell.
What it’s approved or studied for
Nothing. KPV is not approved by the FDA for any use and is sold for laboratory research only. It is marketed to consumers — oral, topical, and injectable — for gut inflammation, inflammatory bowel conditions, and skin inflammation, but none of those uses is backed by an approved product or a human trial.
What human evidence exists
None of the controlled kind. The anti-inflammatory case for KPV is Grade D preclinical: it rests on cell-culture experiments and animal models of colitis, where KPV reduces inflammation and, in some reports, does so more potently than alpha-MSH itself. This is a coherent and interesting body of preclinical work — enough to justify human trials — but it does not establish that KPV works or is safe in people. Long-term human safety is Grade U: unknown.
The major unknowns
Human pharmacokinetics, effective dose and route, bioavailability of oral versus injected forms, and whether the animal anti-inflammatory effect translates to humans are all open questions. Product quality is a further problem: research-chemical supply is unregulated, so the identity and purity of any given product is uncertain.
Most important safety considerations
Because there is no controlled human safety data, the honest answer to “is it safe?” is that no one knows. Preclinical anti-inflammatory activity is not the same as demonstrated human effectiveness or safety, product quality is uncontrolled, and KPV is not a legal therapeutic. This page summarizes the research record; it is not medical advice or an endorsement of use.
Evidence by outcome
Each outcome is graded on its own evidence — a compound can be strong for one use and unproven for another. See how we grade.
Consistent animal and cell data; no human trials. — In murine colitis models and in colonic epithelial and immune cell cultures, KPV reduces inflammation — reportedly with even greater potency than its parent hormone alpha-MSH — and oral delivery reduces colitis severity. No controlled human trial has confirmed this.
Preclinical only. — Cell studies show inhibition of NF-κB and MAP-kinase signaling and reduced cytokine output at nanomolar concentrations; human effectiveness is unestablished.
Early animal and cell signal; not established in humans.
Unknown — no controlled human safety data exist.
Safety
Common adverse effects
- Not established in humans
Serious risks
- Unknown — no controlled human safety data; unregulated product quality and contamination risk
Contraindications
- No human contraindication data; not approved for human use
References