Research grade peptide

KPV is the C-terminal tripeptide of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), a 13-amino acid neuropeptide made in the pituitary and peripheral tissues.

Researchers found that most of α-MSH's anti-inflammatory activity is concentrated in this three-amino-acid C-terminal fragment  (Peptidepedia) , meaning KPV reproduces the parent hormone's anti-inflammatory effect without its pigmentation or appetite-related hormonal activity. This discovery was notable because it showed that a large hormone's complex activity could be reduced to a simple three-residue sequence, making it far cheaper and easier to synthesize than full-length α-MSH.

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Mechanism of Action

Two main pathways are described in the literature:

NF-κB inhibition — KPV directly blocks NF-kB nuclear translocation and also reduces MAPK cascade activation  (Peptidepedia) , both central to turning on inflammatory genes.

PepT1-mediated uptake — Nanomolar concentrations of KPV inhibit NF-kB and MAP kinase inflammatory signaling and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, acting through the PepT1 transporter expressed in immune and intestinal epithelial cells  (PubMed) . This is significant because PepT1 is a di/tripeptide transporter — as a tripeptide, KPV gets actively shuttled into cells this way, which is a property with major implications for oral bioavailability and targeted delivery to inflamed intestinal tissue  (Peptidepedia) .

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Downstream, this suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, along with chemokines and enzymes like COX-2.

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Research Applications

IBD/colitis models — Oral administration of KPV in drinking water reduced the incidence of DSS- and TNBS-induced colitis in mice, evidenced by decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine expression  (PubMed) , supporting its use as a candidate for gut-targeted anti-inflammatory research.

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Wound healing — studied for interaction with MC1R-expressing cells involved in the inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling phases of wound repair, including corneal epithelial healing models.

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Skin conditions — investigated in contact dermatitis, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis models, and in 2025 research on protecting skin cells from pollutant-induced damage.

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Antimicrobial activity — some sources note direct antimicrobial action against certain bacteria/fungi as a secondary mechanism relevant to wound care research.

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Analog research — the dimer (CKPV)₂ has been studied separately (e.g., in Candida vaginitis models), showing macrophage M1→M2 polarization effects — useful context if you're tracking structure-activity relationships across the KPV family.

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Physical & Handling Properties

Sequence: H-Lys-Pro-Val-OH

Small, stable, water-soluble molecule

Supplied lyophilized; standard format across suppliers is a 10mg vial