Peptide Spotlight: KPV

The Anti-Inflammatory Peptide

Primary Benefit:  Heals the gut, helps with inflammation, Psoriasis and Eczema.

Doses: 12-25 doses per vial.

Dosage:  Daily until vial is empty.  Due to the non-steroidal nature of KPV, the peptide can be used for as long as needed until the indicated ailment is healed.

Side Effects: Excellent safety profile even at higher doses. Do not use KPV if you are nursing, may become pregnant, or are already pregnant. May cause temporary brain fog via an apparent sedative effect.

Description: KPV is a tripeptide (i.e. 3 amino acids long) that makes up the end of a naturally occurring melanocortin peptide hormone in your body known as alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). KPV was determined to be the “minimum effective sequence” needed for α-MSH to exert its inflammation-lowering properties.

Improves Overall Gut Health

a-MSH is vital for treating a common gut disorder known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).  There are two human studies where KDPT directly resulted in a beneficial effect on ulcerative colitis without compromising on safety.  The patients suffering moderately or severely saw the best response with respect to disease remission and alleviation of symptoms.  It’s clear that KPV and its derivatives work in the real world.  KPV and BPC-157 are the two leaders when it comes to the use of peptides for enhancing overall gut health.  (Likely via the reduced production of pro-inflammatory compounds).

Treats Skin Conditions Such as Psoriasis

a-MSH’s anti-inflammatory effects are observed in the skin for multiple disease states.  α-MSH was shown to elicit a plethora of anti-inflammatory and/or immuno-modulatory effects in a variety of animal models.  Including experimentally induced cutaneous vasculitis, experimental psoriasis, experimental autoimmune encephalitis, allergic contact dermatitis, allergic bronchiolitis and colitis”.

A Potent Anti-Inflammatory Agent

The anti-inflammatory effects of KPV have an extremely broad spectrum.  Across 5 separate animal species (rabbit, mouse, rat, guinea pig, squirrel monkey), the following disease states were studied.  Fever, Systemic inflammation, Brain inflammation, Arthritis, Ocular inflammation, Contact dermatitis, Fibrosis, Allergic airway inflammation, Acute pancreatitis, Gastrointestinal inflammation.

Antimicrobial Properties

Shows promise against bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the fungal Candida albicans.

Other Therapeutic Applications

Could be a potential therapeutic agent for treating immune hair disorders (i.e.hair loss due to an autoimmune disorder). Demonstrates “anti-HIV properties in infected cells”, as evidenced in a cell culture study.  KdPT, a very similar analog to KPV, may be useful in treating acne, while α-MSH shows promise in addressing eczema. Low levels of α-MSH are observed in conditions such as Lyme disease and mold illness, along with arthritis.  α-MSH plays a pivotal role in regulating ocular immunity, which is why it’s being investigated in an ongoing clinical trial.  In a mouse study, KPV lowered inflammation and tumorigenesis during colitis-associated cancer.  α-MSH has implications in treating disorders like “asthma, sarcoidosis, and the acute respiratory distress syndrome”.

KPV’s Mechanism of Action (For the Science Geeks)

Even though KPV is the active part of the a-MSH molecule responsible for its anti-inflammatory activity, KPV and a-MSH target inflammation via similar yet separate mechanisms.  KPV exhibits an anti-inflammatory effect that is clearly different from that of the core MSH peptides. KPV is unlikely to mediate its effects through melanocortin receptors but is more likely to act through inhibition of IL-1β functions.  What makes KPV particularly effective is that this process directly happens inside your cells.  KPV exerts its anti-inflammatory function inside cells, where it inactivates inflammatory pathways. KPV enters the cell and interacts directly with inflammatory signaling molecules inside the cell. It enters the nucleus of the cell and, once there, can inhibit the interaction of inflammatory substances and molecules.

KPV has three parts to its mode of action: 

1. KPV reduces the two most important intracellular signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases: the NF-κB and MAPK cascade pathways as well as the subsequent synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

2. The anti-inflammatory effect of KPV is mediated through the transporter PepT1.

3. Oral delivery of KPV reduces the severity of DSS- and TNBS-induced colitis in mice.  Targeting KPV transport into both epithelial and immune cells may reduce the overall level of pro-inflammatory cytokine production by mucosal and immune cells. Therefore, the use of KPV is an attractive therapeutic strategy against IBD.

Want to learn more?    

Research Study:  PepT1-Mediated Tripeptide KPV Uptake Reduces Intestinal Inflammation