KPV
KPV (Lys-Pro-Val)
Also called KPV, lysine-proline-valine, alpha-MSH 11-13
The gut anti-inflammatory
KPV is three amino acids long, which makes it one of the smallest peptides anyone uses. It is the tail end of a natural anti-inflammatory hormone, and it turns out that tail carries most of the anti-inflammatory effect without the rest of the hormone's baggage. People use it for gut inflammation and skin.
A three-amino-acid fragment snipped off the end of a hormone your body already makes. Almost every page describes it as switching on a melanocortin receptor; the research fairly clearly says it does not. What it appears to do instead is more interesting, and it is why nearly all the good data is about the gut rather than skin.
- Typical dose
- 200–500 mcg/day
- Availability
- Research-only
Human trials published, with more underway
58 papers · 3 clinical trials
What people use KPV for
Reported uses, roughly in order of how often they are the reason someone goes looking. Whether it works for any of them is a separate question, answered under each one.
- Gut inflammation
- The main use. It gets into gut lining cells through a doorway those cells already use to absorb small protein fragments from food, then turns down the master switch that drives inflammation from the inside.
- Skin
- Used topically for irritated or inflamed skin, and turning up in wound-care formulations. Same mechanism, different tissue.
- Alongside BPC-157
- A common pairing for gut problems, on the logic that one calms the inflammation while the other works on rebuilding the lining. Reasonable reasoning, no trial behind the combination.
Mechanism of Action
How KPV works
KPV is three amino acids long. That is about as small as a peptide gets. It is the tail end of a larger hormone called alpha-MSH, the one best known for controlling pigment.
Because it comes from that hormone, nearly every page you will read says it works by switching on the same receptors. The research says otherwise, and the evidence against is unusually clean.
Three reasons the popular explanation is wrong
The part of alpha-MSH that grips those receptors is not in KPV at all; it was left behind in the part that was cut off. When researchers measured the chemical signal those receptors produce when activated, KPV produced none. And when they used mice whose receptor does not work, KPV kept working anyway.
Any one of those is awkward for the receptor story. Together they close it.
What it appears to do instead
KPV is small enough to be carried straight into a cell by the transporter your gut uses to absorb protein fragments from food. It does not knock on the door; it comes in through the delivery entrance.
Once inside, it interferes with inflammation at an unusual point. Inflammation runs through a master switch called NF-kB, which normally travels into the cell nucleus to start issuing orders. KPV appears to stop the messenger reaching the control room rather than switching the alarm off at source.
Why this matters for what you buy
That transporter is a gut transporter. It is why the research is overwhelmingly about inflammatory bowel disease, why oral delivery has a coherent rationale, and why injecting KPV for a skin problem routes around the one mechanism the literature actually describes.
There is no in-vivo animal study of KPV on skin, and no human study of it at all.
KPV dosage calculator
Opens at 200 mcg, from the doses reported for KPV. Change any box to match your own vial. It works out where to pull the plunger to.
How much is in the vial?
Printed on the label, in milligrams
How much water did you add?
Bacteriostatic water, in millilitres
What dose are you taking?
The dose you already intend to use
Which syringe?
Barrel size, printed on the wrapper
Draw to
4 units
on a 0.5 mL insulin syringe (0.04 mL)
- Strength once mixed
- 5 mg/mL
- Doses in the vial
- 50
10 mg in 2 mL makes 5 mg/mL. A 200 mcg dose is 0.04 mL of that, which is 4 units.
Want a rounder number? Adding 5 mL instead would put this dose at exactly 10 units, which is easier to draw accurately.
This is arithmetic, not advice. It converts a dose you already have into a mark on a syringe. It does not tell you what dose to take, and KPV is not prescribed by us. Dosing belongs with a qualified clinician.
KPV side effects: what people reported
Notably quiet. The parent hormone it comes from causes skin darkening and flushing; KPV is the fragment that appears to have left those behind.
What people report
- Very little. Mild stomach upset when taken orally
- Injection-site redness if injected rather than swallowed
Worth knowing
- Unlike its parent hormone it does not appear to cause tanning or flushing, which is the main argument for using the fragment rather than the whole molecule
Source: Animal studies and reported use; no large human trial. This is a summary of published findings, not a complete safety profile and not medical advice. KPV should only be considered with a qualified clinician who knows your history.
Your Genetics & KPV
The genes involved in how KPV works
KPV works through the receptors these genes build, and the genes vary from person to person. Researchers have linked some of that variation to differences in how people respond. A DNA report tells you which versions you carry.
MC1R · ••
The Arg160Trp variant reduces MC1R function. Since KPV acts through MC1R, carriers of loss-of-function variants may have a diminished anti-inflammatory response and could require higher doses or alternative stacking strategies.
NOD2 variants are the strongest genetic risk factor for Crohn's disease. Carriers have dysregulated mucosal immunity — KPV's NF-kB suppression targets exactly this pathway, potentially offering proportionally greater benefit.
FUT2 · ••
Non-secretors (AA genotype) lack fucosylated glycans on the gut mucosa, altering microbiome composition and increasing susceptibility to gut inflammation. KPV's barrier-protective effects may be especially valuable for non-secretors.
IL10 · ••
The -1082A>G variant affects IL-10 production. Low IL-10 producers (AA genotype) have reduced natural anti-inflammatory capacity — KPV's M2 macrophage polarization may partially compensate for this deficit.
The dots after each gene are where your own result goes. Your report fills them in with the two letters you carry at that position.
Which variants do you carry?
Upload your DNA data, or get tested through our partner, to find out.
Commonly combined with
What KPV is most often paired with, and why:
BPC-157
Gut Healing StackModerate EvidenceBody Protection Compound 157
BPC-157 is the peptide people reach for when something will not heal. Tendons, ligaments, a gut that has been irritated by painkillers, an injury that has stalled. It is a short chain of amino acids copied from part of a protein your stomach already makes, and the animal research on it is unusually consistent for this category: across a lot of separate rat studies, injured tissue healed faster than it did without it. The gap is that this has largely not been repeated in people, and it is not an approved medicine, so nobody is checking what is in the vial you buy.
3
Gene variants
19+
Studies
GLP-2
Gut Restoration StackModerate EvidenceGlucagon-Like Peptide-2
GLP-2 is the signal your own gut uses to repair and rebuild its lining, released every time you eat. The drug version, teduglutide, is one of the few compounds in this whole library that is a fully approved medicine rather than a research chemical. It is prescribed for people who have lost much of their small intestine and cannot absorb enough food to live on, and for them it can be the difference between eating normally and being fed through a drip. It is not a supplement for a bloated stomach.
4
Gene variants
80+
Studies
Common Stacks
One of these pairings has a name people search for, and a page of its own.
Sourcing & access
Where to buy KPV
KPV is sold as a research compound, not a licensed medicine, so quality and legal status vary widely by country and vendor. If you're sourcing it, treat independent purity testing as non-negotiable.
- Insist on a recent third-party Certificate of Analysis (COA) for the exact batch — labs like Janoshik verify purity and identity.
- Check the legal status where you live before ordering — it differs from country to country.
- Reconstitute correctly with bacteriostatic water and start at a conservative dose.
Before you buy: see whether your DNA actually responds to KPV, and at what dose. Analyze my DNA — $99 →
Educational information only, not medical advice. Some outbound links are affiliate links (disclosed, at no extra cost to you). Most peptides are not FDA-approved — consult a qualified professional and check your local laws before purchasing.
Worth knowing before you consider KPV
Interactions and situations where there is a specific reason to be careful. Where the honest answer is that nobody has studied something, it says so and says what that leaves open.
- Oral makes sense here, which is unusual
- Most peptides are pointless swallowed. This one is small enough to use a nutrient transporter in the gut wall, so capsules have a real rationale when the target is the gut itself.
- It calms inflammation rather than fixing a cause
- If something is actively irritating your gut, this turns the alarm down while that continues. Worth finding out what the something is.
The evidence behind KPV
Read the tissue, not just the result. Nearly all of this work is about the gut, because the transporter that carries KPV into cells is a gut transporter. There is no in-vivo animal study of KPV on skin and no human study of KPV at all. Papers using human cell lines are laboratory work, not human trials.
The literature, counted
Counted in PubMed on 3 August 2026 for KPV tripeptide. Every figure links to the search that produced it, so you can re-run it. “Tagged human” is not the same as a human trial: that tag also covers work on human cells and reviews discussing people, which is why the trial count is given separately.
Studied in animals
2 of 2Results in animals do not automatically hold in people.Inflammatory Bowel Disease · 2008
AnimalMelanocortin-derived tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease
Kannengiesser K, Maaser C, Heidemann J, et al.
The cleanest evidence against the popular receptor explanation: KPV still worked in mice whose melanocortin receptor does not function. Note the model is colitis, not skin.
Melanocortin-derived tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease — source for KPV (opens in a new tab)Read the paperMolecular Therapy · 2017
AnimalOrally Targeted Delivery of Tripeptide KPV via Hyaluronic Acid-Functionalized Nanoparticles Efficiently Alleviates Ulcerative Colitis
Xiao B, Xu Z, Viennois E, et al.
Oral delivery in mice with colitis. Most of the practical research effort on KPV is about getting it to the gut intact, which tells you what the field thinks it is for.
Orally Targeted Delivery of Tripeptide KPV via Hyaluronic Acid-Functionalized Nanoparticles Efficiently Alleviates Ulcerative Colitis — source for KPV (opens in a new tab)Read the paper
Reviews
1 of 3Papers that gather other studies rather than run new ones.Every source behind this page52 more
- alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone, MSH 11-13 KPV and adrenocorticotropic hormone signalling in human keratinocyte cellsElliott RJ, Szabo M, Wagner MJ, et al. · Journal of Investigative Dermatology · 2004Review
- Inhibition of cellular and systemic inflammation cues in human bronchial epithelial cells by melanocortin-related peptidesLand SC · International Journal of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Pharmacology · 2012Review
Everything we cite for KPV, including animal work and early research. Each link goes to the source itself, so you can judge it rather than take our word for it.
Last updated · literature counts verified against PubMed on
Frequently Asked Questions
What is KPV used for?
KPV is used primarily for gut inflammation — conditions like IBD, ulcerative colitis, and intestinal permeability (leaky gut). As a fragment of alpha-MSH, it delivers potent anti-inflammatory effects specifically in the gut via MC1R receptor activation and NF-kB suppression, without the skin-darkening effects of full-length melanocortin peptides.
Does genetics affect KPV response?
Yes. MC1R variants directly affect the receptor KPV binds to — loss-of-function variants may reduce response. NOD2 variants (linked to Crohn's disease) indicate dysregulated gut immunity that KPV specifically targets. FUT2 secretor status affects gut mucosal defense and microbiome composition, influencing baseline gut vulnerability.
Can KPV be taken orally?
KPV is one of the few peptides being explored for oral delivery. As a tripeptide, it is small enough to potentially survive partial digestion, and its target (intestinal epithelium) is directly accessible via oral route. Some practitioners use oral KPV specifically for gut conditions, though bioavailability data is still limited.
Learn more about KPV
10 guides mention KPV→comparisons
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safety
Are Peptides Legal in the US? 9 Things You Need to Know in 2026
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GLP-2 Gut Healing: The Forgotten GLP Peptide That Actually Repairs Your Gut Lining
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how it works
7 Things to Know Before Your First Peptide Therapy Appointment
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Your next move
Two ways forward with KPV.
Not sure it's for you?
How does KPV relate to your genes?
Your report scores KPV against your receptor, pharmacogene and pathway variants and shows the genetic markers relevant to it, with commonly cited dosing information to review with a clinician.
Analyze my DNA — $99Already decided?
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