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KPV Compound

A clear, two-sided reading of the KPV tripeptide literature — what the anti-inflammatory and gut research actually establishes on one side, and how compounded access really stands on the other.

the full papers behind the findings

KPV peptide references that show who was tested

KPV is a short piece of a body hormone. You'll find the full animal and cell studies, along with the public FDA pages on pharmacy use.

Return to the findingsRead the FDA position

What the papers prove, and where they stop

The studies below show you results from mice, rabbits, or cells. None reports a human trial of KPV.

I'd look first at whether a paper gave KPV to an animal or placed it on cells. Neither kind of test can show what will happen to you.

The public FDA pages cover 503A, the rule for medicine a pharmacy makes for one patient. They also name a meeting planned for July 23-24, 2026, when outside experts were due to discuss KPV.

  1. Dalmasso G, Charrier-Hisamuddin L, Nguyen HT, Yan Y, Sitaraman S, Merlin D. PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation. Gastroenterology. 2008;134(1):166-178. ↗
  2. Kannengiesser K, Maaser C, Heidemann J, et al. Melanocortin-derived tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2008;14(3):324-331. ↗
  3. Getting SJ, Schioth HB, Perretti M. Dissection of the anti-inflammatory effect of the core and C-terminal (KPV) alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone peptides. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2003;306(2):631-637. ↗
  4. Brzoska T, Luger TA, Maaser C, Abels C, Bohm M. 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. Endocr Rev. 2008;29(5):581-602. ↗
  5. Xiao B, Xu Z, Viennois E, et al. Orally Targeted Delivery of Tripeptide KPV via Hyaluronic Acid-Functionalized Nanoparticles Efficiently Alleviates Ulcerative Colitis. Mol Ther. 2017;25(7):1628-1640. ↗
  6. Bonfiglio V, Camillieri G, Avitabile T, Leggio GM, Drago F. Effects of the COOH-terminal tripeptide alpha-MSH(11-13) on corneal epithelial wound healing: role of nitric oxide. Exp Eye Res. 2006;83(6):1366-1372. ↗
  7. Mandrika I, Muceniece R, Wikberg JE. Alpha-melanocyte-related tripeptide, Lys-d-Pro-Val, ameliorates endotoxin-induced nuclear factor kappaB translocation and activation. Biochem J. 2001;355(Pt 1):29-35. ↗
  8. Spana C, Taylor AW, Yee DG, Makhlina M, Yang W, Dodd J. The Melanocortin System in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Insights into Its Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potentials. Cells. 2023;12(14):1889. ↗
  9. Bohm M, Schiller M, Stander S, et al. Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, MSH 11-13 KPV and adrenocorticotropic hormone signalling in human keratinocyte cells. J Invest Dermatol. 2004;122(3):597-603. ↗
  10. Xiao W, et al. Alpha-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone Protects against Cytokine-Induced Barrier Damage in Caco-2 Intestinal Epithelial Monolayers. PLoS One. 2017;12(1):e0170537. ↗
  11. Dettin M, et al. Structural modification of the tripeptide KPV by reductive glycoalkylation of the lysine residue. PLoS One. 2018;13(6):e0199686. ↗
  12. Barcellini W, Colombo G, La Maestra L, et al. Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone peptides inhibit HIV-1 expression in chronically infected promonocytic U1 cells and in acutely infected monocytes. J Leukoc Biol. 2000;68(5):693-699. ↗
  13. Catania A, Cutuli M, Garofalo L, et al. New insights into the functions of alpha-MSH and related peptides in the immune system. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2003;994:133-140. ↗
  14. Ji HX, Zou YL, Duan JJ, et al. The synthetic melanocortin (CKPV)2 exerts anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory effects against Candida albicans vaginitis via inducing macrophage M2 polarization. PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e56004. ↗
  15. Zhang D, et al. PepT1-targeted nanodrug based on co-assembly of anti-inflammatory peptide and immunosuppressant for combination treatment of acute and chronic DSS-induced colitis. Front Pharmacol. 2024;15:1442876. ↗