What it is
GHK-Cu is a peptide made of 3 amino acids, glycine, histidine, and lysine, bound to one copper ion. It is found naturally in human blood. It can be made in a lab. Loren Pickart first found it in human blood in 1973. The copper is part of how it works. Without copper, the peptide does much less in lab tests. It is widely used in skin care products. Other names: Copper Peptide, Copper Tripeptide-1, GHK-Copper.
What researchers study it for
- Collagen production in skin cells
- Wound repair in animals
- Gene activity in human cells
- How tightly it holds copper
- How well it passes through skin
What the studies found
1. Human blood levels drop by about 60 percent with age.
GHK is about 200 ng/mL in human blood at age 20. By age 60 it is about 80 ng/mL. The body also releases GHK from tissue at the site of an injury. Researchers note the drop happens over the same years that tissue repair slows down. No study has shown that one causes the other.
2. It raised collagen production in lab cells.
A 1988 study added GHK-Cu to fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are the cells that make collagen, the main protein in skin and connective tissue. Collagen production went up. Lab cells only.
3. Rat wounds built more repair tissue.
A 1993 study placed small sponges under rat skin to act as wounds. Sponges treated with GHK-Cu collected more collagen and more new tissue. At the best amount tested, collagen was about 70 percent higher than untreated sponges. Higher amounts gave bigger effects up to a point. Rat data only.
4. It changed the activity of more than 4,000 human genes in a database study.
A 2012 study used the Broad Institute's Connectivity Map. This is a database of how human cells change their gene activity when exposed to different compounds. GHK changed the activity of more than 4,000 genes. Genes tied to tissue repair and protection from oxidation went up. This was a computer analysis of cell data, not a test in people.
5. It holds copper tightly enough to pull it from other molecules.
A 2020 chemistry study measured how strongly GHK binds copper at the pH of blood. The bond was strong enough to take copper away from weaker binders in blood and skin. The study also found GHK can form a three-part complex with copper and another natural skin compound. Lab chemistry only.
6. Almost none of it passed through intact human skin.
Researchers placed GHK-Cu on human skin samples in the lab for 9 hours. Almost no peptide or copper got through. After tiny needles made small holes in the skin, much more passed through. This means skin creams deliver only a small amount past the outer layer.
How much research exists
Many lab cell and animal studies. Many reviews, most written by the same research group. Human data comes mostly from small cosmetic studies. No large controlled human trial has been published.
Facts
- Formula: C14H23CuN6O4
- Weight: 403.9 g/mol
- CAS number: 89030-95-5
- Sequence: Gly-His-Lys, bound to copper
- Time in the blood: short. Not well measured.
- Storage: keep the dry powder in the fridge away from light. Keep mixed solution in the fridge.
Legal status
Used as a cosmetic ingredient in skin products. Not approved by the FDA or any other agency as a drug for human use.
For research use only. Not for human use. Nothing here is medical advice.