GHK-Cu
Also referred to as: Copper tripeptide-1, Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine:copper
A natural copper-carrying peptide found in the body. Long studied in skin and connective-tissue research, and more recently for its effects on genes in cell studies.
In plain terms: GHK-Cu is a tiny natural peptide that grabs onto copper, a mineral your body needs. It has been studied for decades, mostly around skin and the support structure that holds tissue together. A lot of the newer research is done on cells in a dish rather than in people.
- Name
- GHK-Cu
- Aliases
- Copper tripeptide-1, Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine:copper
- Classification
- Copper-binding tripeptide
- Areas studied
- Skin support structure, Skin research, Gene expression
What it is
GHK is a very small peptide — just three amino acids (glycine, histidine, and lysine) — that occurs naturally in human blood and other tissues. It latches tightly onto copper to form the version studied most, called GHK-Cu. Copper is a mineral the body uses in many processes, and this peptide acts as a carrier for it.
It has a long track record in skin and beauty research, and a newer line of work looking at how it affects which genes are switched on or off in cells.
Mechanism
GHK-Cu is studied as a way of carrying and delivering copper, which many of the body's enzymes depend on. In cell studies it has been linked to changes in the support structure that holds skin and tissue together — things like collagen — and to switching large numbers of genes on or off.
Researchers think it may influence how the body builds and repairs that support structure, and how it handles oxidative stress (everyday cellular wear and tear). Most of this has been worked out in cells in a dish.
Areas studied & investigated
The categories below summarize where GHK-Cu appears in the research literature. They describe what the compound is studied for and investigated in — not approved uses, and not guidance for any kind of use.
Skin support structure
Studied for its effects on collagen and the other materials that give skin its strength and structure.
Skin & beauty research
A long-standing subject in skin-science and cosmetic research.
Gene activity
Lab studies report it can switch many genes on or off in treated cells.
Copper in the body
Studied as a copper carrier, linking it to the many body processes that need copper.
Research history
GHK was found in human blood and studied for its copper-grabbing ability in the 1970s and 80s. A steady stream of skin and chemistry research followed, and more recent work has used modern genetic tools to study the copper-peptide version.
State of the literature
GHK-Cu has an established place in skin-science and cosmetic research and a growing body of molecular-biology work. Much of the mechanism research is done on cells in a dish. It is not an approved drug.
What to keep in mind
GHK-Cu shows up a lot in skincare marketing, which can make the evidence sound more settled than it is. The skin and cell research is real, but "changes gene activity in a dish" is a long way from "does X for your body." Read the topical-cosmetic research and the injectable-research-compound claims as two very different things, and lean on the cited studies rather than product copy.
Research tools
Evaluating a GHK-Cu batch for laboratory research? These free, research-use-only calculators help you work the numbers and read the paperwork: the reconstitution calculator solves vial concentration and draw volume, and the COA reader walks a certificate line by line. For how much and how often GHK-Cu is commonly used, see the dosing guides.
Batch-tested with published COAs
See a published COA for GHK-Cu
Midwest Compounds sells GHK-Cu with a batch-linked certificate of analysis from an independent lab, published before you buy. This page is educational; purchasing happens on the store.
Citations
The summary above is drawn from published, peer-reviewed sources. Links open the abstract on PubMed, or the free full text on PubMed Central (PMC) where marked.
- Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018. Free full text PMC
- Pickart L, et al. The human tripeptide GHK-Cu in prevention of oxidative stress and degenerative conditions of aging. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2012. Free full text PMC