🚨 NEW STOCK — V2 aluminium Peptide Pens have landed. Five colours, 40 units only.
AVERON logoAVERON

KPV

PRECLINICAL ONLY

Studied in cells and mouse models of inflammation. No human trials.

At a glance. A three-amino-acid peptide that carries the anti-inflammatory activity of a natural hormone without its effect on skin pigment.

Written and maintained by the AVERON Research Desk · Last reviewed September 2026

What it is

KPV is one of the smallest peptides in our catalog: just three amino acids, lysine, proline and valine. It is the final segment of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, alpha-MSH, a natural hormone involved in skin pigmentation and in regulating inflammation.

What makes KPV interesting is that it appears to keep the anti-inflammatory activity of alpha-MSH while losing its effect on pigmentation. It is reported to act on NF-κB, a central switch that turns inflammatory signalling on in cells.

What researchers study it for

Inflammation of the gut, including models of inflammatory bowel disease, and inflammation of the skin.

What the research shows

A study by Guillaume Dalmasso and colleagues, published in Gastroenterology in 2008, found that KPV is taken up into gut cells through a transporter called PepT1, which is more active in inflamed intestinal tissue. In mouse models of colitis, KPV given by mouth reduced intestinal inflammation.

A separate study by Klaus Kannengiesser and colleagues, published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases the same year, also reported anti-inflammatory effects of KPV in mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease.

Because PepT1 is more active in inflamed tissue, the published rationale suggests KPV may concentrate where inflammation already is, at least in the gut and at least in mice.

What it does not do, and what is not known

  • There are no published human trials of KPV for any purpose.
  • It does not treat inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease or colitis, and it is not a substitute for prescribed treatment.
  • Its human safety profile is unknown.
  • The published gut research used oral administration in mice. How that relates to other forms of use is not established.
  • Results in mouse models of colitis frequently fail to translate to people.

Adverse effects reported in research

No human data. The animal studies did not report toxicity at the doses used, which does not establish human safety.

Regulatory and anti-doping status

Regulatory: Not approved as a medicine anywhere.

Anti-doping: With no approval for human therapeutic use, KPV falls under WADA's category S0 (non-approved substances). Prohibited at all times in tested sport.

At AVERON

KPV is not yet in stock as a single compound. It is one of the four components of the KLOW blend. When it arrives, it will be listed in the shop and its independent lab report published on our verify page before it is sold.

Frequently asked questions

It is the last three amino acids of alpha-MSH: lysine, proline and valine.

No. KPV keeps the anti-inflammatory activity of alpha-MSH but not its effect on pigmentation.

No published human trials exist. All evidence comes from cell and mouse studies.

No. It has only been studied in mouse models of colitis. It is not a treatment and is no substitute for prescribed care.

Doses mentioned on this page are the arms of published studies, given to describe their results. They are not guidance.

Sources

  1. Dalmasso G, Charrier-Hisamuddin L, Nguyen HTT, et al.. PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation. Gastroenterology, 2008;134(1):166–178. Link
  2. Kannengiesser K, Maaser C, Heidemann J, et al.. Melanocortin-derived tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2008;14(3):324–331. Link
  3. World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List. WADA. Link

Related pages

...