Education
What Is KPV?
α-MSH's three-residue fragment — what KPV is, why inflammation-signalling research uses it, and how research-grade material is verified.
KPV is the C-terminal tripeptide of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH): the three residues Lys-Pro-Val, studied for decades as a compact probe in inflammation-signalling research. It is the smallest fragment of the melanocortin story — and often the most convenient one to work with.
What is KPV?
α-MSH is a thirteen-residue hormone with broad activity; KPV is its final three residues. What made the fragment famous in the research literature is that much of the parent hormone's anti-inflammatory signalling tracks with this short sequence — without the pigmentation-driving melanocortin-receptor engagement that defines full-length α-MSH and analogs such as Melanotan II — the melanocortin family guide maps the whole lineage.
What researchers study it for
KPV appears in laboratory models of inflammatory signalling — gut, skin, and immune-cell work feature heavily. For protocol designers, its appeal is subtraction: a probe carrying the fragment's activity while leaving the rest of the melanocortin footprint behind, which makes attribution cleaner. At three residues it is also stable, easy to reconstitute, and inexpensive to verify at high confidence — what a purity figure establishes is easy to check on a molecule this small.
Working with research-grade KPV
REPRIME supplies KPV as a lyophilized 10 mg vial, batch-tested with a published COA and a first-scan verification code. See the KPV product page for the current batch and documentation. Research use only — no dosing or protocol guidance is provided.
Frequently asked questions
What is KPV made of?
KPV is the tripeptide Lys-Pro-Val — the C-terminal three residues of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH).
How does KPV differ from full α-MSH or Melanotan II?
Full α-MSH and its analogs engage melanocortin receptors broadly, driving pigmentation signalling among other effects. KPV carries the fragment associated with anti-inflammatory signalling without that broader receptor footprint.
How is research-grade KPV supplied?
As a lyophilized 10 mg vial, HPLC-verified per batch with a public COA and a unique verification code, available on the product page.