GHK-cu

The research profile.

GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a tripeptide first isolated from human plasma. Its concentration in plasma declines markedly with age, an observation that anchored decades of research into its role in tissue remodelling. In fibroblast cultures the complex stimulates collagen synthesis, and later work extended this to glycosaminoglycan production and the balanced expression of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors — the enzymatic machinery that both builds and clears extracellular matrix.

Gene-profiling studies attribute a remarkably broad transcriptional footprint to GHK and its copper complex, with reported influence over genes involved in tissue repair, antioxidant defence, and cellular signalling. Mechanistic work suggests the peptide acts partly as a copper chaperone — delivering Cu(II) to cells in a bioavailable form — and partly through direct receptor-level and gene-modulatory activity that is still being characterised.

In irradiated and normal fibroblast models, copper tripeptide exposure altered growth-factor secretion, including basic FGF and VEGF output, which is one of the mechanisms proposed for the wound-model findings reported across the copper-peptide literature. The 100 mg vial format reflects the milligram-scale amounts used in laboratory work with this compound.

For research purposes only. Not for human consumption, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of any condition.

Categorised as Skin — Copper peptides and compounds for dermal research.