Healing & repair research
KPV
KPV is the tripeptide Lys-Pro-Val, the C-terminal fragment of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. VaultLabs supplies it as a standalone 10 mg lyophilised reference material, distinct from KPV as one component of the KLOW blend. It is not a medicine and is not for human or veterinary use.
Research use only. For in vitro research use only. Not for human or animal consumption. Not for human consumption, medical use, or personal application.
Reviewed by VaultLabs Research Editorial Desk · Last updated 2026-09-18
Key facts
- Sequence is Lys-Pro-Val; CAS 67727-97-3; molecular formula C16H30N4O4; molecular weight 342.44 g/mol.
- It is a fragment of α-MSH, not the full hormone and not Melanotan or PT-141.
- Standalone 10 mg SKU (VL-KPV-10) has lots independent of KLOW 80 mg, which contains KPV among three other peptides.
- Published work includes in vitro epithelial and immune-cell signalling and a PepT1 transport study in cultured intestinal cells.
- A blend certificate cannot release this vial, and this vial's certificate cannot release KLOW.
- Not an approved medicine. Research-use only.
- Chemical name
- KPV (α-MSH C-terminal tripeptide)
- Common synonyms
- Lys-Pro-Val, KPV tripeptide, MSH (11–13)
- Sequence
- Lys-Pro-Val
- CAS number
- 67727-97-3
- Molecular formula
- C16H30N4O4
- Molecular weight
- 342.44 g/mol
- Appearance
- White lyophilised powder
- Catalog strength
- 10 mg standalone vial
What KPV is
KPV is three residues: lysine, proline, valine. In α-MSH it is the C-terminal tripeptide. Catalog material is the synthetic tripeptide, not α-MSH, not afamelanotide, and not the cyclic melanocortin analogues on the same shelf.
Proline in the middle of a tripeptide is a conformational constraint and a reason the fragment is discussed separately from longer melanocortin sequences. Analytically it is a small, basic peptide. Mass 342.44 g/mol and CAS 67727-97-3 are the identity handles that survive naming arguments.
VaultLabs also puts KPV inside KLOW, a four-component 80 mg blend. That blend is a different catalog object with a different lot file. Ordering KPV 10 mg because a protocol mentions the KLOW component is correct only if the work needs the single sequence.
Where the research literature sits
Brzoska, Luger and colleagues reviewed α-MSH and related tripeptides in Endocrine Reviews (2008), separating biochemistry from in vitro and in vivo reports for KPV and related fragments. That review is the standard map of the fragment class.
Dalmasso, Charrier-Hisamuddin, Nguyen and colleagues reported in Gastroenterology (2008) that KPV is a PepT1 substrate in cultured intestinal epithelial cells and Jurkat T cells, and that the tripeptide altered NF-κB and MAP-kinase readouts in those in vitro systems. They also used mouse colitis models. Cell-transport and signalling results are the part that transfers to a laboratory method; animal colitis results remain preclinical and are not a human indication.
None of this literature describes the VaultLabs vial, and none of it authorises personal or clinical use of research-grade powder.
Analytical characterisation and handling
HPLC of a basic tripeptide is straightforward if the method is written for early-eluting species. The risks are ordinary: deletion sequences and, after reconstitution, diketopiperazine formation that small proline-containing peptides are known for. Mass confirmation at 342.44 g/mol is the identity check.
Store sealed lyophilised vials at 2–8 °C, protected from light and humidity, and equilibrate before opening. After reconstitution, prepare close to the point of use and log freeze-thaw cycles. Certified purity describes the cake.
If the laboratory also holds KLOW, physical separation of the two lot families is worth more than a shared drawer label. A chromatogram of the blend is not a chromatogram of this vial.
Regulatory position and supply
KPV from VaultLabs is a research reference material. It is not a medicine, not a topical, and not supplied for human or veterinary use. Melanocortin consumer marketing does not apply to this SKU.
The standalone catalog presentation is a 10 mg lyophilised vial. Published certificates are retrieved through batch verification. For the blend that contains KPV among other sequences, use the KLOW monograph.
How this page should be read
This article is for laboratory purchasers and documentation staff. It is not a protocol and not a substitute for institutional SOP review.
Cited papers identify the fragment and its in vitro transport and signalling literature. They do not convert the vial into a medicine. Query mismatches between label, certificate and this page before opening.
Research interest areas
Melanocortin-fragment signalling panels (in vitro)
PepT1 transport assays in epithelial cultures
Standalone vs KLOW blend documentation
Storage information
2–8 °C (lyophilized, sealed)
2–8 °C sealed lyophilized storage, protected from light and humidity.
Stability notes
Small proline-containing tripeptides can form diketopiperazines in solution. Prepare close to the point of use.
Selected literature
Named papers behind the statements on this page. Each entry resolves on PubMed and through its DOI, so you can read the source rather than take our summary of it. Inclusion describes the research record and is not a claim about this material’s suitability for any use.
Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and related tripeptides: biochemistry, antiinflammatory and protective effects in vitro and in vivo, and future perspectives
Brzoska T, et al. · Endocrine Reviews · 2008
Standard review of KPV and related α-MSH fragments, written to separate in vitro biochemistry from in vivo model reports.
PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation
Dalmasso G, et al. · Gastroenterology · 2008
Shows KPV transport by PepT1 in cultured epithelial and T cells, with additional preclinical colitis models.
Databases and verification
Registry and database entries for independent identity checks. These are standing searches rather than fixed records, so they stay current as new work is indexed.