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Peptides / KPV

Panel: recommendedAlpha-MSH fragmentNot FDA approved

KPV

KPV is a tiny peptide of just three amino acids: lysine, proline and valine. It is the tail end of alpha-MSH, a natural hormone that among other things calms inflammation. Unlike the full hormone, it does not darken the skin.

Reviewed for
Wound healing, inflammation
Committee vote
8 yes, 6 no, 1 abstain
Strongest evidence
Animals
Legal to compound in the US
Not yet

Effects studied or claimed

What it is promoted for, and where each effect has actually been seen

  • Less gut inflammation in colitis modelsAnimals
  • Faster wound healingLab studies
  • Calmer inflammatory response in skin and gut cellsLab studies

How it is thought to work

It appears to dampen an inflammation switch inside cells (the NF-kB pathway), which reduces the release of inflammatory chemicals.

What the evidence shows

In animals and the lab

Cell and mouse studies, especially mouse colitis models in which KPV was given by mouth inside nanoparticles that release it in the gut.

In people

None. FDA staff found no studies in humans.

Safety and unknowns

Unknown. With no human data, nobody has measured safe doses, side effects or long-term risks.

FDA review

Reviewed for wound healing and inflammatory conditions, by mouth and by injection. FDA staff recommended against it. The committee voted 8 to 6, with 1 abstention, in favour.

Committee votes are advice to the FDA. A peptide can only be compounded legally once the FDA adds it to the 503A bulks list through formal rulemaking, which has no fixed deadline.

Sources

Analysis

A gut anti-inflammatory that has stayed in the lab

Peptide Evidence IndexBiology 5/10In people 1/10Index 2.0, rank 12 of 15See the full index

KPV is just three amino acids long: lysine, proline and valine. It is the tail end of alpha-MSH, a hormone that calms inflammation. Its appeal is that it seems to keep the anti-inflammatory effect without the tanning and appetite effects of the full hormone.

The key study was published in Gastroenterology in 2008. Researchers showed that KPV is absorbed into gut lining cells through a transporter called PepT1, and that giving it to mice with chemically induced colitis reduced inflammation and tissue damage (Dalmasso and colleagues). Later work packaged KPV in nanoparticles aimed at the colon, again with benefits in mouse colitis (Xiao and colleagues, 2017). Users online mainly take it for gut inflammation and skin conditions.

Our view. KPV has a clear mechanism and a small set of positive mouse studies, but we found no published human trial. It is a reasonable candidate for drug development in inflammatory bowel disease, not yet a proven treatment.

Studies and reports cited

  1. Dalmasso G et al. PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation. Gastroenterology, 2008
  2. Xiao B et al. Orally targeted delivery of tripeptide KPV via hyaluronic acid-functionalized nanoparticles efficiently alleviates ulcerative colitis. Mol Ther, 2017

Summary of published research for general information. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation to use this substance.

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General information, not medical advice. Do not buy or inject unregulated peptides.