Alpha‑melanocyte‑stimulating hormone (alpha‑MSH) and its short piece called KPV can calm inflammation, kill some germs, and even slow down HIV in lab tests on human immune cells. They work by blocking a key switch (NF‑kappa B) that normally ramps up inflammation and virus production. While promising, the studies are all in test tubes, so we don’t yet know how much to take or how safe it is for everyday use.

The presence of the ancient peptide alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) in barrier organs such as gut and skin suggests that this potent anti-inflammatory molecule may be a component of the innate host defense. In tests of antimicrobial activities, alpha-MSH and its fragment KPV showed inhibitory influences against the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the yeast Candida albicans. Anti-tumor necrosis factor and antimicrobial effects of alpha-MSH suggest that the peptide might likewise reduce replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Treatment with alpha-MSH reduced HIV replication in chronically and acutely infected human monocytes. At the molecular level, alpha-MSH inhibited activation of the transcription factor NF-kappa B known to enhance HIV expression. alpha-MSH that combines antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects could be useful in the treatment of disorders in which infection and inflammation coexist.