Recovery & healing
KPV
A tiny 3-amino-acid fragment of alpha-MSH studied mainly for gut and skin inflammation, popular among self-experimenters with IBD-type symptoms.
Research chemical Recovery & healing
- Full name
- Lysine-Proline-Valine (C-terminal tripeptide fragment of alpha-MSH)
- Also known as
- KPV tripeptide, α-MSH(11-13)
- Regulatory status
- Research chemical, no clinical approval. Preclinical (rodent, cell-culture) evidence only for the isolated tripeptide.
Origin
KPV is the C-terminal three amino acids of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), a peptide with well-established anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects. KPV retains alpha-MSH's anti-inflammatory activity without the pigmentation (skin-darkening) effects that come from alpha-MSH's action on melanocortin receptors.
Mechanism
KPV works partly independent of the classical melanocortin receptors, directly inhibiting NF-kB signaling, a central pathway driving inflammatory cytokine production. This gives it broad anti-inflammatory activity in gut epithelium and skin without the receptor-mediated side effects (tanning, appetite/libido changes) seen with full alpha-MSH analogs like Melanotan II.
Research summary
Evidence
Rodent studies show KPV reduces colonic inflammation in colitis models, improves epithelial barrier integrity, and has topical anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects on skin, including activity against Staph aureus in some in-vitro work. No human clinical trials exist for KPV as an isolated compound; it's an academic compound of interest for IBD and dermatology, still firmly preclinical.
Evidence tier: Research chemical — see the methodology note for how this is assessed.
Citations
- Orally Targeted Delivery of Tripeptide KPV via Hyaluronic Acid-Functionalized Nanoparticles Efficiently Alleviates Ulcerative Colitis — Xiao et al. 2017
- Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and related tripeptides: biochemistry, antiinflammatory and protective effects in vitro and in vivo, and future perspectives for the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases — Brzoska et al. 2008
- Critical role of PepT1 in promoting colitis-associated cancer and therapeutic benefits of the anti-inflammatory PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV in a murine model — Viennois et al. 2016
- Self-Cross-Linked Hydrogel of Cysteamine-Grafted γ-Polyglutamic Acid Stabilized Tripeptide KPV for Alleviating TNBS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Rats — Sun et al. 2021
Reported benefits
- Reduced GI inflammation and bloating reported by users with IBD-type or leaky-gut symptoms
- Topical use reported for inflammatory skin conditions (acne, eczema-type flares)
- Often used alongside BPC-157 for combined gut-healing protocols
Dosing protocols reported in the literature & community
These are protocols reported by compounding pharmacies, published trials, or self-experimentation communities — not a prescription. Start low, especially for anything new.
| Route | Reported protocol |
|---|---|
| Oral capsules/drops | Commonly reported range in self-experimentation communities is 200-500 mcg, once or twice daily, often cycled in blocks of a few weeks. |
| Subcutaneous injection | Less commonly injected than BPC-157/TB-500; when used, doses in the low hundreds of mcg per day are typical among self-experimenters, frequently combined with BPC-157 in the same syringe. |
| Topical | Compounded topical creams (skin conditions) are the other common route; no standardized concentration exists outside individual compounding pharmacy formulations. |
Side effects
- Limited human safety data — most reported issues are generic to peptide self-injection (site irritation)
- No known pigmentation or libido effects (unlike full-length alpha-MSH analogs)
Safety notes
Community & reddit notes (anecdotal — not clinical evidence)
Popular in gut-health and autoimmune-adjacent corners of the peptide community as a companion to BPC-157, particularly for people who feel oral BPC-157 alone isn't enough for inflammatory GI symptoms. Reports are generally positive but sparse compared to BPC-157/TB-500, and much of the online protocol information traces back to a small number of vendor blog posts rather than independent user reporting.
Related peptides
Used in stacks
Community combinations that include KPV — see each stack page for the combination-specific rationale and evidence.
Mixing compatibility
Pulled from a community-charted mixing-compatibility reference (anecdotal, clinic-use, and community-reported signals) — not a safety guarantee. Verify independently before combining anything.