GHK-Cu
Research OnlyLimited EvidenceGHK-Cu (Glycyl-L-Histidyl-L-Lysine Copper Complex)
A naturally occurring tripeptide-copper complex that declines with age, with decades of in vitro and animal evidence for wound healing and gene regulation — and almost no injectable human trial data.
A tiny three-amino-acid copper-carrying molecule that your body naturally makes and that declines as you age. It's been studied since the 1970s for wound healing and skin repair — but almost all the research is on putting it directly on skin (topical), where it genuinely does help wounds heal. The injectable version sold by peptide vendors is a completely different story: there are no human trials for injecting it, no data on what happens when it enters your bloodstream, and no established dose. What works when you rub it on a wound does not automatically work — or have the same safety profile — when you inject it into your body.
Half-Life
Not established in humans. Topical half-life varies by formulation. No published injectable human PK data.
Molecular Weight
340.38 g/mol (GHK free peptide); ~403 g/mol as copper complex
GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring tripeptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine) that forms a high-affinity complex with copper(II) ions. Discovered in 1973 by Loren Pickart as an activity in human albumin that caused old liver tissue to behave like young tissue, it is found in human plasma (~200 ng/mL at age 20, declining to ~80 ng/mL by age 60), saliva, and urine. It has high copper-binding affinity (Kd ~10⁻¹⁴ M) and functions as a physiological copper delivery vehicle. The primary evidence base spans four decades of in vitro and animal studies documenting wound healing, collagen synthesis, anti-inflammatory gene modulation, and hair growth effects. **The critical limitation for injectable systemic use:** human evidence is almost entirely from topical cosmetic studies and in vitro cell experiments. No published RCT exists for injectable GHK-Cu in any indication. The formulation sold by peptide vendors (injectable lyophilized powder) has a different bioavailability, distribution, and risk profile than topical application, and has not been characterized in published human research.
Also Known As
Amino Acid Sequence
Gly-His-Lys·Cu²⁺
Reconstitution
Reconstitute with sterile water or saline. Stable in solution at pH 5–7.
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