KPV (Lys-Pro-Val) is the C-terminal tripeptide fragment of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). Despite being only three residues long, it is one of the most frequently requested research peptides — appearing in in vitro models of inflammatory signaling and epithelial biology, and as a component of multi-peptide research blends.
What KPV is
α-MSH is a thirteen-residue peptide; KPV corresponds to its final three amino acids (positions 11–13), the region implicated in much of the parent molecule’s activity in laboratory models. Working with the minimal fragment lets researchers study those pathways without the receptor interactions of full-length α-MSH. Its small size gives it a monoisotopic mass near 342.2 Da — an easy identity check on any certificate.
Where it appears in research catalogs
KPV is studied on its own and as part of multi-compound repair-model blends — most prominently KLOW (BPC-157 + TB-500 + GHK-Cu + KPV), where it joins three other widely studied repair-pathway compounds in a single research formulation.
Stability and handling
- Lyophilized: small, robust tripeptide — stable refrigerated or frozen, protected from moisture.
- Reconstituted: dissolves readily; refrigerate solutions and use within your protocol’s validated window. As with all peptides, avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
- Simplicity as an advantage: with only three residues, synthesis-related impurities are fewer and ≥99% HPLC purity is readily achievable — treat anything less as a question worth asking.
Quality checks before a study
- Identity: observed mass ~342.2 Da (ESI-MS or MALDI-TOF) on the certificate.
- Purity: ≥99% by HPLC — our guide to reading a peptide COA explains what backs that number, and how HPLC and mass spec differ.
- Lot traceability: a printed lot number that retrieves a real certificate in a public portal — the standard the Heartland COA portal exists to set.
Research availability
KPV research material (5mg) ships lyophilized, ≥99% HPLC-verified with mass-spec identity on every lot, same-day from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
KPV is supplied strictly for in vitro laboratory research by qualified personnel — not for human or veterinary use.