Growth Factors
GHK-Cu
Copper Tripeptide (Gly-His-Lys·Cu²⁺)
Amino acid sequence
N-terminus →
01GGly
02HHis
03KLys
→ C
- Polar
- Hydrophobic
- Acidic
- Basic
- Linear
- 3 residues
Scientific Overview
GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide studied for extracellular-matrix remodeling, antioxidant gene programs, and skin/wound biology.
Mechanism focus
GHK chelates Cu²⁺ and is reported to modulate metalloproteinases, collagen/elastin-related gene expression, and anti-inflammatory transcriptional programs in skin and soft tissue models.
Research Use Cases
- Dermal regeneration and cosmetic-peptide research
- Wound-healing and scar-remodeling assays
- Hair follicle and scalp biology models
- Gene-expression studies of copper-peptide signaling
Use-Case Study Notations
- Case-study notation: Pickart and colleagues documented GHK-associated tissue remodeling and gene resetting signatures in skin-aging contexts.
- Case-study notation: copper-tripeptide complexes have been evaluated for attenuating inflammatory and fibrotic responses in lung injury models.
- Formulation stability of the Cu²⁺ complex is an important analytical QC variable.
Selected Studies
- 01 The human tri-peptide GHK and tissue remodelingPubMed 18644225
- 02 GHK and DNA: resetting the human genome to healthPubMed 25302294
- 03 The potential of GHK as an anti-aging peptidePubMed 35083444
- 04 GHK Peptide as a Natural Modulator of Multiple Cellular Pathways in Skin RegenerationPubMed 26236730
- 05 The glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine-Cu2+ tripeptide complex attenuates lung inflammation and fibrosisPubMed 38879894
Related compounds
Research Use Only. This page is educational and intended for laboratory research context. Products are not for human consumption and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.