This compound is supplied for in-vitro and preclinical research only. It is not a medicinal product. It is not approved for human or veterinary use in any jurisdiction. No therapeutic, medicinal, cosmetic, or performance-enhancement claims are made or implied. By proceeding to inquire, you confirm you are an adult researcher acquiring this compound within your own research framework. Full terms on the Research Use Only page.
KPV
10 mg freeze-dried vial, alpha-MSH terminal tripeptide
Compound specifications, chemistry, and storage.
Technical specifications
Specimen format| Compound name | KPV (Lysine-Proline-Valine, alpha-MSH 11-13) |
| Also known as | Lysyl-prolyl-valine, alpha-MSH 11-13, α-MSH (11-13) |
| CAS number | 67727-97-3 |
| PubChem CID | 160595 → |
| InChI Key | Reference InChI Key on COA |
| SMILES | Reference SMILES on COA |
| Empirical formula (Hill notation) | C16H30N6O3 |
| Molecular weight | 342.43 g/mol (monoisotopic mass: 342.24) |
| Salt form | Acetate (default) |
| Counter-ion content | Quantified per batch on COA. Custom salt forms (chloride, ammonium, TFA) available on quote. |
| Sequence (1-letter) | KPV |
| Sequence (3-letter) | Lys-Pro-Val |
| Length | 3 amino acids (tripeptide) |
| Weight basis | Gross weight per industry standard. Net peptide content quantified on batch COA. |
| Quantity per vial | 10 mg |
| Format | Freeze-dried white powder or thin film, sealed under inert atmosphere. Why does the vial look empty? |
| Appearance | White freeze-dried cake or powder. May also appear as a thin film on the vial wall. |
| Solubility | Water soluble, reconstituted with bacteriostatic water (1 to 2 ml typical) |
| Solution colour | Clear and colourless when correctly reconstituted |
| Purity (HPLC) | Specification ≥98.5%, tested before listing |
| Identity confirmation | LC-MS, batch-specific spectrum on COA |
| Endotoxin (LAL) | Within Ph. Eur. specification, batch report on COA |
| Storage (freeze-dried) | 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, sealed, protected from light. Avoid thermal cycling. |
| Storage (reconstituted) | 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. Use within 4 to 6 weeks. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw. |
| Shelf life | 24 months from synthesis date when storage conditions are maintained |
| Country of synthesis | EU partner facility, Ph. Eur. methodology references |
| Application | In-vitro and preclinical research only. Not for human or veterinary use. |
Anti-inflammatory & cytokine modulation
Primary research area. Studied for melanocortin-pathway anti-inflammatory mechanisms in gastrointestinal models.
Open research area → 02Wound healing & tissue regeneration
Secondary research area. Studied for cutaneous and mucosal repair mechanisms.
Open research area →A tripeptide α-MSH terminal fragment, and what the published research says about it.
KPV is the C-terminal tripeptide fragment (residues 11 to 13) of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). Published preclinical research has investigated the tripeptide for anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective activity, with particular attention to gastrointestinal inflammation models including colitis and Crohn’s-related research. The sections below summarise what the published research investigates, what Cresten supplies, and what the certificate of analysis confirms.
Where KPV comes from.
KPV is the C-terminal tripeptide of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), composed of three amino acids in the sequence Lysine-Proline-Valine. The full alpha-MSH peptide is thirteen amino acids long; KPV represents residues 11, 12, and 13 of that sequence. The tripeptide was identified in the late 1990s as a research-active fragment of the larger peptide, with a series of published comparisons examining the activity of the fragment relative to the full thirteen-residue α-MSH.
The peptide is one of the simplest in the research-peptide catalogue at three residues. It is built by standard Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis, purified by reversed-phase HPLC, and freeze-dried. The molecular weight is low, and the freeze-dried form is stable at room temperature. The published research often discusses KPV alongside the larger α-MSH peptide to highlight which activities are preserved in the tripeptide and which are not.
PubMed lists roughly 60 papers mentioning KPV in research-peptide contexts as of 2026, with the literature concentrated in cell-culture studies of inflammatory pathways, animal models of colitis and skin inflammation, and a small number of papers examining oral and topical formulations in animal injury models. The research is consistently preclinical.
What the research looks at.
KPV mechanism research starts from the larger alpha-MSH peptide, which acts on the melanocortin receptor family. The full thirteen-residue α-MSH is a high-affinity agonist at melanocortin receptors 1, 3, 4, and 5. The KPV tripeptide retains some activity in cell-culture studies of melanocortin signalling, but with substantially lower binding affinity than the full peptide. This affinity difference is the entry point for most of the published mechanism work.
A second strand of research has looked at melanocortin-receptor-accredited activity in cell-culture and animal models of inflammation. Studies have reported anti-inflammatory effects in NF-κB signalling assays, in mast-cell degranulation models, and in animal models of dextran-sulfate-sodium colitis. The published interpretation of these findings is mixed: some papers attribute the effects to melanocortin receptors, others to non-receptor pathways, and the resolution between the two is incomplete in the literature.
"The tripeptide retains some of the activity of the full alpha-MSH peptide, but the published research has not fully resolved which pathways are receptor-mediated and which are not."
Topical and oral formulation research has examined whether the small molecular weight allows the peptide to cross epithelial barriers more efficiently than the full thirteen-residue parent. Animal studies of skin inflammation have used topical formulations, and animal studies of intestinal inflammation have used oral formulations. The bioavailability data in the published research is limited and the quantitative pharmacokinetics are not well characterised.
Where the published research does not go: there are no FDA or EMA approvals for KPV in any indication, no large human trials, and no consensus on the relative contribution of melanocortin-receptor versus non-receptor mechanisms to the reported anti-inflammatory effects. The compound is supplied as a research compound for laboratory research only.
What the certificate confirms.
Every Cresten batch of KPV ships with a certificate from an analytical lab, against the test panel described on the Methodology page. The certificate that ships with your batch confirms:
The certificate format is shown on the batch verification page.
Where the published research on KPV lives.
PubMed indexes 100+ publications mentioning KPV as of 2026. Cresten does not curate a hand-selected reading list. Compound-specific selections influence which papers researchers find first; the unfiltered query, sortable by date, citation count, study type, and species, is queryable directly on PubMed.
Each result on PubMed links to the original journal record and, where available, full-text or open-access copies. Cresten supplies the compound; the literature is for the researcher to evaluate.
Open the full PubMed query →Opens at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov in a new tab. The query string is preserved so you can refine, filter, or export from there.
What this monograph is not
This monograph summarises what the published research looks at regarding KPV mechanism. It is not a therapeutic recommendation. It is not dosing guidance. It is not a clinical protocol. It is not medical advice.
Cresten Labs supplies KPV as a research compound for lab-based research only. The decision to investigate any compound in any research framework is the researcher’s decision, within their own ethical, legal, and methodological boundaries.
Cresten makes no claim about human therapeutic use, no claim about clinical effectiveness, no claim about safety in human use, and no claim that this compound has been reviewed by any regulator for any medical use.
Frequently asked questions about KPV
Common research-protocol and supply questions about KPV, with answers grounded in published peer-reviewed research and Cresten Labs supply practice. All information is for in vitro and preclinical research only.
What is KPV?
KPV is lysine-proline-valine, a 3-amino-acid peptide (CAS 67727-97-3, molecular weight 342.44 g/mol). Cresten Labs supplies KPV as a freeze-dried vial for in vitro and preclinical research only, with each batch verified at Janoshik Analytical.
What does research suggest KPV does?
Published research investigates KPV for C-terminal alpha-MSH fragment activity, modulating inflammatory cascade signaling in mucosal and gut barrier research. The compound is studied primarily in inflammation cascade and gut barrier research. KPV is supplied for research use only and is not approved by any regulator for medical use.
What is the typical KPV dosage in published research?
Published KPV dosage in research protocols ranges from 200 to 800 mcg per administration, administered subcutaneously (research) or orally (some research protocols), with daily dosing in inflammation-cascade and gut-barrier research. Cresten Labs publishes the typical KPV protocol ranges as research-protocol references only; this is not dosing guidance for human use.
How do I reconstitute KPV for research?
Standard KPV reconstitution adds 2 mL plain bacteriostatic water for the 10 mg vial. Cresten ships lyophilized KPV vials for reconstitution by the researcher per their protocol.
What is the KPV half-life and how is KPV storage handled?
Published research reports KPV systemic half-life at short systemic half-life, approximately 1 to 2 hours. KPV storage: lyophilized vial stable at room temperature for shipping; reconstituted solution stored at 2 to 8 °C and used within 28 days. The Cresten certificate of analysis lists the synthesis date, batch identifier, and the storage conditions verified for this specific batch.
KPV vs BPC-157: how do they compare in research?
In published research comparing KPV vs BPC-157, KPV modulates inflammation while BPC-157 supports mucosal repair; the two pair in gut-barrier research and the KLOW research blend. The two compounds are studied separately and in combination depending on the research question. Cresten Labs supplies both as verified research compounds.
What does research literature report about KPV side effects?
Published KPV research reports the following: preclinical models report tolerability across tested research dose ranges. Cresten Labs supplies the compound for research use only; clinical-use side-effect data should be drawn from peer-reviewed clinical trial publications, not from research-vendor pages.
Where to buy KPV in Europe?
Cresten Labs supplies KPV across the EU single market to 16 European countries. Each KPV batch is tested at Janoshik Analytical with the certificate of analysis published on the website before it lists. KPV is sold for in vitro and preclinical research only, not for human or veterinary use.
How is KPV verified at Cresten Labs?
Every KPV batch is tested at Janoshik Analytical in Czech Republic, an third-party peptide-analysis laboratory. Each batch certificate documents HPLC purity, mass-spectrometry identity confirmation, and contamination panels. The certificate publishes with the batch, before it lists.
What is the typical KPV stack in published research?
In published research, the typical KPV stack pairs the compound with BPC-157. KPV modulates inflammation while BPC-157 supports mucosal repair; the two pair in gut-barrier research and the KLOW research blend.