Myristoyl Pentapeptide 17

Myristoyl pentapeptide 17 (MF: C₄₁H₈₁N₉O₆, MW: 796.14), is a synthetic lipopeptide derived from five amino acids (lysine-leucine-alanine – lysine – lysine, KLAKK sequence) covalently linked to myristoyl acid. The C-terminus features an amide structure (-NH₂). The incorporation of myristoyl acid significantly enhances the molecule’s lipophilicity and transdermal absorption efficiency, while the C-terminal amide group improves its resistance to enzymatic degradation and prolongs its duration of action.
As a signaling peptide, it specifically stimulates keratin gene expression, promoting the production of more keratin (a key structural protein in hair, nails, and the skin’s stratum corneum) by hair follicle cells, thereby fundamentally enhancing hair length, thickness, and density.