KPV peptide: what it is, what the research says, and where to buy it in Australia

Alpha-MSH (alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone) is a 13-amino-acid hormone the body makes itself. It is best known for its role in skin pigment, but it also damps down inflammation. KPV is a tripeptide (three amino acids: lysine, proline, valine) and is the last three amino acids of that hormone, Lys-Pro-Val, which is why some suppliers list it under that name.

Researchers isolated this fragment because it appears to carry the anti-inflammatory part of the parent hormone without the pigment effect. The KPV in a research vial is a synthetic copy of that three-amino-acid sequence, supplied as a dry powder.

The published work falls into three groups. Each is a laboratory or animal study, so the findings describe what happened in those models, not what happens in people.

Gut inflammation in cells and mice

Dalmasso and colleagues (2008) tested KPV in human intestinal cell lines (Caco2-BBE and HT29-Cl.19A) and in immune cells, then in two mouse models of colitis, where the gut lining is chemically irritated to mimic inflammatory bowel disease. KPV given in the drinking water reduced the activity of NF-kB and MAP kinase, two signalling pathways that switch on inflammation, lowered the release of inflammatory messengers (cytokines) and reduced the severity of colitis in the mice. The authors also showed that KPV enters cells through a transporter called PepT1, which is more active in inflamed gut tissue. The limitation is the model: chemically induced colitis in mice is not human bowel disease.

Skin cells and skin tissue

Sung and colleagues (2025) exposed human keratinocytes (HaCaT skin cells) and a three-dimensional skin model to fine particulate pollution (PM10). KPV at 50 micrograms per millilitre restored cell viability and reduced the inflammatory marker IL-1 beta, reactive oxygen species and markers of cell death. That is a cell and tissue-model result about pollution stress, measured in a dish.

Pawar and colleagues (2017) looked at a different question: whether KPV can get through skin at all. Using dermatomed human skin in a laboratory diffusion cell, they found that KPV applied passively did not cross in measurable amounts, while microneedle pre-treatment and iontophoresis (a small electrical current) each increased passage, and the two combined increased it most. The useful takeaway for a researcher is that passive delivery across intact skin was not seen in that setup.

Airway cells

Land (2012) worked with a human bronchial epithelial cell line (16HBE14o-). In that cell line, KPV reduced NF-kB signalling and MMP-9 activity, and reduced secretion of IL-8 and eotaxin, three molecules involved in airway inflammation. Again, this is a single cell line, not lung tissue or an animal.

What has not been studied

We found no published human trial of KPV establishing safety or efficacy for any purpose. The studies above concern cells, tissue and mice. None of the studies cited here tested the KLOW mixture, so their results do not establish how the blend behaves.

The honest answer is that the cited preclinical studies do not establish safety in people or long-term safety. They measured inflammation and cell-stress endpoints in cells, tissue models and mice over short periods; none was designed as a safety study. Treat KPV as an uncharacterised research reagent and handle it with normal laboratory precautions.

The KPV product page has a Notify me option. Leave your email there and we email you when the single vial is back in stock.

KLOW is a four-peptide blend. Each 80 mg vial is listed as:

The supplier's KLOW report prints batch KLOW-2026-438, manufactured 4 July 2026, expiry 4 July 2028, issued 7 July 2026, with purity 99.1% by HPLC against a minimum of 98.5%, and the four components with their amounts. The report gives one HPLC result, not separate identity and quantity tests for all four components. The document carries the footer "reference template for customer consultation purposes only", so read it as the manufacturer's reference sheet rather than a test of the vial you receive. There is no supplier document for KPV on its own. For a plain-English walkthrough of the blend, read What is KLOW?.

Buy KLOW only when your design needs this exact four-component mixture. Interest in one of the other three peptides on its own is not a reason to buy a blend, because each is sold as a single vial.

Wait for the single vial if your design needs KPV alone. A KPV-only study needs a suitably characterised KPV-only reagent; KLOW introduces three additional compounds and changes the result you can attribute to KPV.

Two guides go deeper: KPV peptide benefits walks through the research in more detail, and KPV vs BPC-157 compares the two peptides most often searched together. If you are weighing blends against single vials more generally, peptide blends covers the maths.

Australian stock, dispatched from Australia, with prices on the page in A$ before you add to cart. KLOW costs A$169.99 for 10 mg KPV plus three other peptides. The unavailable KPV-only vial is listed at A$69.99 for 10 mg. Choose KLOW only when the exact mixture suits the work. KLOW has a published supplier reference report (batch KLOW-2026-438, 99.1% by HPLC, linked on its product page); no standalone KPV report is currently available. No overseas shipping wait and no currency guesswork.

If KLOW suits the work, open KLOW, check the ingredient list and report, and add it to the cart. If you need KPV alone, open the KPV page and tap Notify me.

What does KPV stand for?

KPV is the one-letter code for its three amino acids: K for lysine, P for proline and V for valine. The same peptide is sometimes listed as Lys-Pro-Val or as the alpha-MSH 11-13 fragment.

Is KPV the same as alpha-MSH?

No. Alpha-MSH is the full 13-amino-acid hormone. KPV is its last three amino acids, studied because they appear to carry the anti-inflammatory effect without the pigment effect of the whole hormone.

Has KPV been tested in humans?

We found no published human trial of KPV. The cited studies used human cell lines, a three-dimensional skin model, laboratory skin tissue and mice.

Is KPV in stock in Australia?

At PEPTALIAS the 10 mg KPV vial is out of stock on 30 October 2026, with a Notify me option on the product page. KLOW, which contains 10 mg of KPV in an 80 mg blend, is in stock at A$169.99.

What is the difference between KPV and KLOW?

KPV is a single peptide in a 10 mg vial. KLOW is an 80 mg blend of GHK-Cu (50 mg), BPC-157 (10 mg), TB-500 (10 mg) and KPV (10 mg). KLOW suits combination research; the single vial suits a KPV-only design.

Does KPV come with a certificate of analysis?

Not at present. There is no supplier document for KPV on its own. KLOW has a supplier reference report, linked on its product page, which lists the four components, batch, dates and HPLC purity.

1. Dalmasso G et al. PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation. Gastroenterology (2008)
2. Sung J et al. Lysine-Proline-Valine peptide mitigates fine dust-induced keratinocyte apoptosis and inflammation. Tissue Cell (2025)
3. Pawar K et al. Transdermal iontophoretic delivery of Lysine-Proline-Valine (KPV) peptide across microporated human skin. J Pharm Sci (2017)
4. Land SC. Inhibition of cellular and systemic inflammation cues in human bronchial epithelial cells by melanocortin-related peptides: mechanism of KPV action. Int J Physiol Pathophysiol Pharmacol (2012)
5. PEPTALIAS KPV product page, 30 October 2026
6. PEPTALIAS KLOW product page, 30 October 2026
7. Supplier reference report for KLOW, batch KLOW-2026-438 (PDF)