alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) / Studies

Natural fragment · 13 amino acids · 1,664.9 Da

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) studies and research data

PepBank has no study results for alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) yet. Data as of 2026-10-30.

Searches 0 results and 0 papers. Newer studies from Europe PMC

Results in people

0% of 0 results

Results in animals

0% of 0 results

Results in lab cells

0% of 0 results

From computer models

0% of 0 results

The molecule

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) identity

Identifiers, parent molecule, targets and development stage, from curated data.

alpha-MSH is Ac-SYSMEHFRWGKPV-NH2, residues 138-150 of human pro-opiomelanocortin (UniProt P01189), with an N-acetyl group and a C-terminal valine amide. UniProt describes it as a ligand of MC1R, MC3R, MC4R and MC5R; MC1R activation promotes melanogenesis and MC4R activation is anorexigenic. Its INN is intermedine. GSRS lists modimelanotide and bremelanotide as derivatives.

Kind: Natural fragment · 13 residues
Identifiers: UniProtP01189 (opens in a new tab)ChEMBLCHEMBL214332 (opens in a new tab)PubChem CID16133793 (opens in a new tab)16132144 (opens in a new tab)UNIIOVF025LA77 (opens in a new tab)CAS581-05-5PDB7F53 (opens in a new tab)8INR (opens in a new tab)8W8W (opens in a new tab)
Parent: Fragment of Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC, human) · residues 138-150UniProt PEPTIDE feature PRO_0000024970 'Melanocyte-stimulating hormone alpha' at 138-150. No POMC record exists in this database yet.
Development: Phase 1The only registered trial of alpha-MSH itself is phase 1 (NCT00004496, acute renal failure, completed; ClinicalTrials.gov search 2026-10-08). ChEMBL CHEMBL214332 gives max_phase 2.0, but its only indication row is that phase 1 trial, and no phase 2 trial of alpha-MSH was found in ClinicalTrials.gov or Europe PMC. Analogues (afamelanotide, bremelanotide) are separate substances. Source (opens in a new tab)

Targets

Molecular targets with action and evidence source
Target	Action	Evidence
Melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptorMC1RQ01726 (opens in a new tab)	Agonist	UniProt function annotation; GSRS TARGET->AGONIST relationshipSource (opens in a new tab)
Melanocortin receptor 3MC3RP41968 (opens in a new tab)	Agonist	UniProt function annotation; cryo-EM complex PDB 8W8WSource (opens in a new tab)
Melanocortin receptor 4MC4RP32245 (opens in a new tab)	Agonist	UniProt function annotation; cryo-EM complex PDB 7F53Source (opens in a new tab)
Melanocortin receptor 5MC5RP33032 (opens in a new tab)	Agonist	UniProt function annotation; cryo-EM complex PDB 8INRSource (opens in a new tab)

Sequence and structure

Residues, differences from the parent, calculated properties and 3D structure. Source values and calculated values are shown separately.

Sequence

13 amino acids · 2 modifications

SYSMEHFRWG

KPV

Parent: Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC, human)

No sequence is listed for the parent, so no alignment is shown.UniProt PEPTIDE feature PRO_0000024970 'Melanocyte-stimulating hormone alpha' at 138-150. No POMC record exists in this database yet.

Properties

From identity sources

Formula: C₇₇H₁₀₉N₂₁O₁₉S
Molecular weight: 1,664.9 g/mol
Monoisotopic mass: 1,663.7929 Da

GSRS UNII OVF025LA77(opens in a new tab)retrieved 2026-10-08
GSRS UNII BTT9RJ7MEN(opens in a new tab)retrieved 2026-10-08
UniProt P01189 (PRO_0000024970)(opens in a new tab)retrieved 2026-10-08
PubChem CID 16133793(opens in a new tab)retrieved 2026-10-08
PubChem CID 16132144(opens in a new tab)retrieved 2026-10-08
ChEMBL CHEMBL214332(opens in a new tab)retrieved 2026-10-08

Calculated from the sequence

pKa set

Average mass: 1,664.90 Da; Sum of ExPASy residue masses + water + N-acetyl, C-amide · ExPASy Compute pI/Mw; FindMod
Monoisotopic mass: 1,663.7930 Da; Sum of ExPASy residue masses + water + N-acetyl, C-amide · ExPASy FindMod
Isoelectric point (pI): 10.44; pH of zero net charge, EMBOSS pKa set · EMBOSS iep, Epk.dat
Net charge at pH 7.4: 1.11; Henderson-Hasselbalch, EMBOSS pKa set · EMBOSS iep, Epk.dat
GRAVY (hydropathy): −0.923; Mean Kyte-Doolittle hydropathy · Kyte and Doolittle 1982; Negative: hydrophilic on average.
Extinction coefficient, 280 nm (Cys reduced): 6,990 M⁻¹ cm⁻¹; 5500 x Trp + 1490 x Tyr · Pace et al. 1995 (ExPASy ProtParam)
Instability index: 34.02; Dipeptide instability weights (DIWV) · Guruprasad et al. 1990; 40 or below: classed as stable (ExPASy).
Aliphatic index: 22.3; Mole % A + 2.9 V + 3.9 (I + L) · Ikai 1980
Boman index: 2.02 kcal/mol; Mean solubility value (negated) · Boman 2003; 2.48 or below: lower protein-binding potential (Boman).
Hydrophobic moment (μH): 0.382; Eisenberg scale, 100° per residue, best 11-residue window · Eisenberg et al. 1982, 1984
pI with each pKa set: EMBOSS 10.44Bjellqvist (ExPASy) 9.99IPC peptide 10.29IPC protein 9.92

Defined and validated for proteins; use with care for short peptides.
Assumes an ideal alpha helix. Many short peptides are not helical.

@pepdb/chem 0.2.0 · EMBOSS pKa set · ExPASy residue masses

Net charge by pH

pI 10.44 · Net charge at pH 7.4: 1.11

Point or use arrow keys

Henderson-Hasselbalch, EMBOSS pKa set, N-acetyl, C-amide. Calculated, not measured.

Show as table

pH	Net charge
0	3.00
1	3.00
2	2.99
3	2.93
4	2.55
5	2.08
6	1.77
7	1.24
8	1.02
9	0.91
10	0.42
11	−0.53
12	−1.17
13	−1.75
14	−1.97

Composition

Hydrophobic15% (2)M V
Aromatic23% (3)F W Y
Positive23% (3)H K R
Negative8% (1)E
Polar15% (2)S
Special15% (2)G P

13 residues. Each residue counts in one class; F and W count as aromatic.

A Ala0 · 0%

I Ile0 · 0%

L Leu0 · 0%

M Met1 · 8%

V Val1 · 8%

F Phe1 · 8%

W Trp1 · 8%

Y Tyr1 · 8%

H His1 · 8%

K Lys1 · 8%

R Arg1 · 8%

D Asp0 · 0%

E Glu1 · 8%

N Asn0 · 0%

Q Gln0 · 0%

S Ser2 · 15%

T Thr0 · 0%

C Cys0 · 0%

G Gly1 · 8%

P Pro1 · 8%

3D structure

ExperimentalPDB 7F53

Loads the 3D viewer (3Dmol.js, about 150 KB) and the model file from RCSB PDB.

2D structure

Draws the structure in your browser with RDKit (about 2.3 MB, loaded once).

SMILES fromPubChem CID 16133793(opens in a new tab)

CC(C)[C@@H](C(=O)N)NC(=O)[C@@H]1CCCN1C(=O)[C@H](CCCCN)NC(=O)CNC(=O)[C@H](CC2=CNC3=CC=CC=C32)NC(=O)[C@H](CCCNC(=N)N)NC(=O)[C@H](CC4=CC=CC=C4)NC(=O)[C@H](CC5=CNC=N5)NC(=O)[C@H](CCC(=O)O)NC(=O)[C@H](CCSC)NC(=O)[C@H](CO)NC(=O)[C@H](CC6=CC=C(C=C6)O)NC(=O)[C@H](CO)NC(=O)C

Helical wheel

An ideal alpha-helix projection. It shows where the hydrophobic residues fall if the peptide folds as a helix. It does not show that it does.

μH, residues shown: 0.348
μH, best 11-residue window: 0.382
Arrow direction: 152°
Residues: 13

HydrophilicHydrophobic

Eisenberg consensus (normalized) scale · + K, R · − D, E

Assumes an ideal α-helix: 100° per residue, 3.6 residues per turn. The arrow is the mean hydrophobic moment (Eisenberg et al. 1984) and points at the hydrophobic face.

Show as table

Position	Residue	Angle	Eisenberg consensus (normalized)
1	S	0°	-0.18
2	Y	100°	0.26
3	S	200°	-0.18
4	M	300°	0.64
5	E	40°	-0.74
6	H	140°	-0.40
7	F	240°	1.19
8	R	340°	-2.53
9	W	80°	0.81
10	G	180°	0.48
11	K	280°	-1.50
12	P	20°	0.12
13	V	120°	1.08

Results by area

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) results by year and outcome

Counts are exact and come from studies that gave the peptide.

Studies by year

No study has results about alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) yet.

No study with a publication year is linked to this peptide.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

What the studies measured

People first in each area, then animals, then lab cells. Counts are exact and come from studies that gave the peptide.

No study of alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) has results in PepBank yet.

Trials and papers

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) trials

Registered trials that test the peptide, with phase, status and dates. A dot marks trials with posted results.

StatusPhase

0 trials match. Highest phase first. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

No trial matches these filters.

1 more mentions it but does not test it. They are not trials of alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH): they only measure it (a blood level or an eligibility term) or name it in their text.

Papers

Studies on this peptide. Some have results. The others have none yet.

Sort

Design

0 studies match. Retracted studies are left out.

No study matches these filters.

Newer studies

PepBank reads each paper before it shows the results. This search looks in Europe PMC for newer papers that PepBank has not read yet.

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) studies: 0 papers with results

No paper with results is linked to this peptide.

Status and safety

Regulatory and safety

Approval and sport status, and the safety outcomes reported in study results. Laws and labels change, so check the regulator for the current status.

Regulatory status by jurisdiction, with date and source
Jurisdiction	Body	Status	As of	Source
US	FDA	FDA orphan designations (Not FDA Approved for Orphan Indication): alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone for intrinsic acute renal failure due to ischemia (1997-08-19, NIDDK); alpha melanotropin for chronic beryllium disease (2010-09-02, mondoBIOTECH Laboratories AG).	8 Oct 2026	accessdata.fda.gov (opens in a new tab)
EU	EMA	No centrally authorised medicine and no orphan designation for this substance in the EMA data files (medicines and orphan designations, timestamp 2026-10-08). National authorisations were not checked. EMA lists an expired orphan designation for the analogue afamelanotide (EU/3/08/541), not for alpha-MSH.	8 Oct 2026	ema.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)
Sport	WADA	Not named on the List; S0 may still apply (no approval anywhere) S0 bans any substance that has no approval for human use. alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) has no approval in the sources used, so S0 may apply although the List does not name it.	2026 List	wada-ama.org (opens in a new tab)

Safety outcomes

Reported effects from study results.

No study results yet

No safety results yet. That does not mean the peptide is safe.

Doses studied

The doses that these studies used. They are not recommendations.

No dose was reported in the study results.

PepBank is a research reference. Talk to a doctor before you use any peptide.

Data

Data and API

Data version, change history and code for this peptide.

Data version 30856030 Oct 2026

Peptide

Peptide id: PEP-000022
Peptide version: 8
Peptide hash: c9ee586877df3d46…
Data version: 308560

Latest changes

27 Oct 2026UpdatedData version 256636
22 Oct 2026UpdatedData version 254487
21 Oct 2026UpdatedData version 216018
21 Oct 2026UpdatedData version 213592
14 Oct 2026UpdatedData version 194674
13 Oct 2026UpdatedData version 173524

For developers

curl -s https://pepbank.io/v1/briefs/alpha-msh

Evidence summary for alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH): counts by class, key results with sources, notices, data version.

Peptide as JSON Evidence summary as JSON

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) studies and research data

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) identity

Targets

Sequence and structure

Sequence

Parent: Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC, human)

Properties

Net charge by pH

Composition

3D structure

2D structure

Helical wheel

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) results by year and outcome

What the studies measured

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) trials

Papers

Newer studies

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) studies: 0 papers with results

Regulatory and safety

Doses studied

Data and API

Peptide

Latest changes

For developers

Related peptides

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) results by year and outcome

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) trials

Papers

Regulatory and safety

Doses studied

Data and API

Peptide

Latest changes

For developers