GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu research peptide in Thailand

GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide — glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine chelated to a copper(II) ion — studied since the 1970s for its effects on collagen synthesis, extracellular-matrix remodelling, wound repair, and antioxidant signalling. It is the most heavily characterised copper peptide in the dermatology and matrix-biology literature, largely through the work of Loren Pickart and the Reims group led by François-Xavier Maquart.

This listing is for laboratory research use only. The evidence base is predominantly in-vitro (fibroblast culture) and animal, supplemented by topical cosmetic-science studies; it is not a medicine, skincare product, or supplement.

Quick facts

Product

GHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-1)

CAS

89030-95-5 is commonly referenced for the copper complex (49557-75-7 for free GHK)

Molecular weight

~340 Da for free GHK; ~400 Da for the 1:1 copper complex

Form

Lyophilised powder, sealed vial

Intended use

laboratory research use only

How GHK-Cu works

The biology of GHK depends on the copper. The tripeptide's glycine amine, histidine imidazole, and backbone nitrogens form a high-affinity square-planar chelate around Cu(II), and it is this complex — not the bare peptide — that carries most of the activity reported in the literature. Because the copper is tightly bound rather than free in solution, GHK-Cu is studied as a way to deliver copper to cells without the uncontrolled redox chemistry that free copper ions produce. GHK sequences occur within the alpha-2(I) chain of type I collagen, which led Maquart and colleagues to propose that proteolysis at an injury site releases GHK locally, where it picks up copper and acts as an endogenous repair signal.

Downstream, dermal fibroblast studies report increased synthesis of collagen types I and III, glycosaminoglycans, and the proteoglycan decorin, alongside modulation of matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors — that is, GHK-Cu is described as tuning both the building and the breakdown side of matrix turnover rather than simply adding collagen. Review work also attributes broad transcriptional effects to GHK across genes tied to remodelling, antioxidant defence, and inflammatory signalling. These are findings from specific published studies, not outcomes attributed to this product.

Key research findings

• In human fibroblast cultures, GHK-Cu stimulated collagen synthesis in a dose-dependent manner from 10⁻¹² M, peaking around 10⁻⁹ M, with the effect occurring independently of any change in cell number (Maquart, FEBS Lett, 1988).
• In a rat wound-chamber model using subcutaneously implanted steel mesh cylinders, GHK-Cu produced a concentration-dependent increase in dry weight, DNA, total protein, collagen, and glycosaminoglycan content, with collagen accumulating at roughly twice the rate of non-collagen protein and elevated type I and type III collagen mRNA (Maquart, J Clin Invest, 1993).
• In a mouse model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, intraperitoneal GHK-Cu at 0.2, 2, and 20 µg/g on alternate days reduced inflammatory markers and collagen deposition and reversed the MMP-9/TIMP-1 imbalance via Nrf2, NF-κB, and TGF-β1 pathways (Ma, Life Sci, 2020).

Research applications

• Collagen synthesis and extracellular-matrix remodelling assays in dermal fibroblasts
• Wound-healing and granulation-tissue models
• Matrix metalloproteinase / TIMP balance studies
• Copper-chelation and metal-delivery chemistry
• Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling research (Nrf2, NF-κB)
• Gene-expression profiling under copper-peptide exposure
• Comparative tissue-repair studies alongside BPC-157 and TB-500

Dosing in the literature

The underlying literature is expressed on three different scales rather than as a single protocol: fibroblast culture work used ~10⁻¹² to 10⁻⁹ M (Maquart, FEBS Lett, 1988), the mouse fibrosis model used 0.2–20 µg/g intraperitoneally on alternate days (Ma, Life Sci, 2020), and cosmetic-science studies describe topical formulations at roughly 0.1–2%. Parameters vary widely because the published work spans cell culture, rodent models, and topical formulation studies rather than a single standard protocol. This is a summary of parameters as reported in research references, not administration guidance. To model concentrations for a defined protocol, use the GHK-Cu peptide calculator.

Reconstitution & storage

Solvent

Bacteriostatic water — standard for lyophilised research peptides

Mixing

Add solvent down the vial wall and swirl gently until dissolved; do not shake

Appearance

Solutions of the copper complex are characteristically deep blue

Storage

Refrigerated (2–8 °C) after reconstitution, in common laboratory practice

Use within

A few weeks once reconstituted

Freeze / light

Keep lyophilised powder frozen or cold, sealed, and protected from light

Copper complexes are sensitive to pH and to reducing or chelating agents in the buffer, so laboratory practice is to prepare fresh and avoid incompatible diluents. In Thailand's heat and humidity, protect vials from ambient temperature swings during storage and courier handling.

Selected research

• Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ — FEBS Lett, 1988
• In vivo stimulation of connective tissue accumulation by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ in rat experimental wounds — J Clin Invest, 1993
• Protective effects of GHK-Cu in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammation pathways — Life Sci, 2020
• GHK Peptide as a Natural Modulator of Multiple Cellular Pathways in Skin Regeneration — Biomed Res Int, 2015 (review, Pickart)
• Browse all indexed GHK-Cu copper peptide literature on PubMed

Related compounds

• BPC-157 — a pentadecapeptide studied for tendon, gut, and tissue repair; often examined alongside GHK-Cu in matrix and angiogenesis research through a different mechanism.
• TB-500 — a synthetic Thymosin Beta-4 fragment studied in cell-migration and repair models; the actin-regulating counterpart to GHK-Cu's matrix-synthesis focus.
• Bacteriostatic water — the standard diluent used to reconstitute lyophilised research peptides.

See also: more copper peptide research compounds.

GHK-Cu FAQ

Compliance note

GHK-Cu is supplied for laboratory research use only. It is not for human or veterinary use, not a cosmetic or topical product, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All findings referenced above are the results of specific published studies, not claims about this product.