GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu is a copper complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (GHK), a naturally occurring molecule found in human plasma, saliva, and urine. GHK-Cu has been studied for decades as a modulator of tissue-remodeling processes, with particular attention to skin biology, wound healing, and connective-tissue signaling. Research interest continues around its ability to influence gene expression programs relevant to regeneration and repair.

GHK has a high affinity for copper (Cu²⁺), and the resulting GHK-Cu complex participates in a range of biological activities. It has been shown to influence the expression of genes related to extracellular matrix synthesis, antioxidant defense, and inflammatory signaling. Copper itself is a required cofactor for enzymes such as lysyl oxidase, involved in collagen and elastin crosslinking. In cell-culture and preclinical models, GHK-Cu has been reported to modulate fibroblast activity, angiogenesis, and epidermal signaling.

• Skin biology, dermal remodeling, and cosmetic-science research.
• Wound healing, fibroblast activity, and extracellular matrix synthesis.
• Antioxidant defense and modulation of oxidative stress markers.
• Hair-follicle biology and dermal papilla signaling.
• Gene-expression profiling studies of GHK-Cu-treated cells.

• Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. GHK peptide as a natural modulator of multiple cellular pathways in skin regeneration. BioMed Research International, 2015.
• Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018.
• Maquart FX et al. Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+. FEBS Letters, 1988.