Scientifically reviewed by Dr Stephan Hansberg
What is KPV?
KPV is the tripeptide fragment Lys-Pro-Val, derived from alpha-MSH, studied in inflammatory-signalling literature as a minimal active sequence.
Key takeaways
- •KPV stands for the three amino acids that make up the peptide: lysine, proline and valine.
- •It corresponds to the C-terminal tripeptide fragment of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), specifically residues 11-13.
- •Researchers study this minimal fragment because it reproduces certain activities of the full alpha-MSH hormone in a much smaller, simpler molecule.
- •Published research has examined KPV in the context of inflammatory cell-signalling pathways, including studies of NF-kB signalling.
- •Celyfe includes KPV as a component of its KLOW Pen, alongside GHK-Cu, BPC-157 and TB-500.
Structure: a three-amino-acid fragment
KPV is a tripeptide composed of three amino acids in sequence: lysine (K), proline (P) and valine (V), which gives the compound its name using standard single-letter amino acid codes. At just three residues, it is among the smallest peptides discussed in this research category, far shorter than pentadecapeptides such as BPC-157.
Origin: the alpha-MSH 11-13 fragment
KPV corresponds to the C-terminal three amino acids, positions 11 to 13, of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), a naturally occurring peptide hormone. Alpha-MSH itself is a larger, thirteen-amino-acid peptide studied across several areas of physiology, and KPV represents the smallest fragment of it that has been shown in laboratory research to retain some of the parent hormone's activity in specific experimental assays.
Why researchers study the fragment rather than the whole hormone
Using a minimal active fragment rather than the full hormone offers practical advantages for laboratory research: a three-residue peptide is simpler and less costly to synthesise at high purity, is easier to characterise definitively by mass spectrometry, and allows researchers to isolate the specific structural region responsible for a given activity without the other regions of the full alpha-MSH sequence being present as a variable. This approach, studying minimal active fragments of larger hormones, is a common strategy across peptide research more broadly, not something unique to KPV.
Inflammatory-signalling literature
Published laboratory research on KPV has examined its effects on inflammatory cell-signalling pathways in cell culture models, including studies looking at NF-kB signalling, a transcription factor pathway that plays a central role in regulating inflammatory gene expression across many cell types, and in mouse models of colitis. This research describes molecular findings observed under specific laboratory conditions and is preclinical in nature.
How KPV is supplied for research
KPV is manufactured synthetically by solid-phase peptide synthesis and, like other research peptides, is typically characterised by HPLC for purity and by mass spectrometry or a reference standard for identity. The KLOW certificate, which covers Celyfe's KPV, is being re-issued and is not yet published. Celyfe includes KPV at 15mg per 3ml cartridge in its KLOW Pen, alongside GHK-Cu, BPC-157 and TB-500.
Research use only
KPV supplied by Celyfe is intended for laboratory and research use only. It is not an approved medicine, and nothing in this guide describes or implies its use in or on a human or animal body.
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