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A genuine human plasma peptide with strong cell data, a huge cosmetic market, and almost no controlled clinical studies.
Also known as: copper peptide · GHK copper
Part of the Cosmetic & skin peptides cluster
GHK-Cu — evidence brief
An ulcer-gel report favored area closure, while a small post-laser trial found no significant objective difference. A cell study compared bound/free forms. These selected studies leave systemic/injectable efficacy and safety unestablished; missing clinical methods limit confidence.
- Version
- 2026-10-05.1
- Snapshot updated
Prepared by Peptides Codex. Independent review by a qualified subject specialist is pending.
Scope of this brief
Selected older reports concerning copper-bound Gly-His-Lys, copper-free GHK and specific topical formulations. These materials are not interchangeable. This is not an exhaustive or systematic review, a dosing guide or batch authentication; qualified scientific review remains pending.
Mulder et al., 1994 · PMID 17147644
- Material tested
- Authors' topical GHK–Cu gel versus vehicle; exact formulation unavailable in the abstract.
- Model or population
- People with diabetic neuropathic ulcers.
- Study design
- Multicenter randomized, evaluator-blinded comparison; standardized wound care in both groups.
- Sample and comparison
- Randomized/analyzed counts and follow-up timepoint not reported in the retrieved abstract.
- Reported finding
- Plantar-ulcer median area closure: 98.5% versus 60.8% with vehicle (p<0.05). These are area changes, not percentages of patients completely healed.
- Limits of this evidence
- Abstract-only subgroup result with unknown denominators and precision; no systemic or injectable inference.
Source access: Primary PubMed and publisher abstracts inspected; full text and funding disclosures unavailable.
Miller et al., 2006 · PMID 16847171
- Material tested
- Topical regimens with or without GHK–Cu; concentration and complete product composition unavailable.
- Model or population
- Patients after circumoral CO₂ laser resurfacing.
- Study design
- Randomized comparison; blinded/image-based erythema assessment and 12-week skin assessments.
- Sample and comparison
- 13 completed; randomized total and arm counts unavailable in the abstract.
- Reported finding
- No significant between-group difference in erythema, wrinkles or objective skin quality; questionnaire-reported skin improvement favored GHK–Cu (p=0.04).
- Limits of this evidence
- Small completer sample; subjective improvement does not establish objective benefit or equivalence. Topical post-laser findings cannot validate injections.
Source access: Primary PubMed and publisher abstracts inspected; full text and funding disclosures unavailable. A linked correction could not be retrieved.
Gruchlik et al., 2014 · PMID 25745767
- Material tested
- Reported equimolar GHK–Cu(II) preparation; copper-free GHK and CuCl₂ comparators.
- Model or population
- Commercial normal human dermal fibroblast cultures.
- Study design
- 24-hour cell-culture comparison; IGF-2-stimulated total TGF-β1 measured by ELISA.
- Sample and comparison
- Key comparison: n=4 experiments, not patients; donor count unspecified.
- Reported finding
- GHK–Cu and CuCl₂ reduced stimulated secretion more than GHK alone; no change was detected in unstimulated secretion in the tested low-serum condition.
- Limits of this evidence
- Cell marker, not clinical scar or wound outcomes; no systemic efficacy/safety evidence.
Source access: Primary full text inspected; Medical University of Silesia funding reported.
A finding applies to the material, model and conditions studied. It does not establish safety or effectiveness in other settings.
Overview
GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a tripeptide found in human plasma at about 200 ng/mL at age 20 and 80 ng/mL by 60. It has a wide cell and animal literature on collagen synthesis, wound repair and anti-inflammatory signalling, a cosmetic market built on it, and — as a 2025 review notes — a surprising absence of clinical studies. Topical use is permitted as a cosmetic; it is not an approved drug.
Source & context
Biological / chemical source: Endogenous tripeptide complexed with copper(II)
Primary research or clinical context: Permitted cosmetic ingredient for topical use; not an approved drug by any route; injected GHK-Cu has no human data
What GHK-Cu is
GHK is the tripeptide glycine–histidine–lysine, a normal constituent of human plasma, saliva and urine. It binds copper(II) with very high affinity to form the chelate GHK-Cu (Dou et al., Aging Pathobiology and Therapeutics 2020). Plasma GHK averages about 200 ng/mL at age 20 and declines to about 80 ng/mL by age 60, a fall that underlies much of the “anti-ageing” framing. The peptide and its copper complex are studied for tissue remodelling, wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects, and GHK-Cu and its palmitoylated derivative Pal-GHK are among the most widely used peptides in anti-wrinkle products (Mortazavi et al., BioImpacts 2025).
Proposed mechanisms
In cell and animal systems GHK stimulates blood-vessel and nerve outgrowth, increases synthesis of collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans, supports dermal fibroblast function, and has been reported to improve repair in skin, lung connective tissue, bone, liver and stomach lining, alongside anti-inflammatory actions and suppression of NF-κB (Pickart and Margolina, International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2018). Gene-expression data are invoked to explain this breadth. Readers should note that the 2018 review's authors are the peptide's discoverer and a commercial affiliate; the claims are extensive and the independent replication is uneven.
Recent animal studies from independent groups
Independent preclinical work in the last few years is more specific. GHK-Cu rescued cigarette-smoke-induced skeletal muscle dysfunction in mice via a sirtuin pathway, in a study that also measured lower plasma GHK in COPD patients than in healthy controls (Deng et al., Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle 2023). It attenuated lung inflammation and fibrosis in a silicosis model by targeting peroxiredoxin 6 (Bian et al., Redox Biology 2024), and reduced dextran-sulfate colitis in mice with effects on SIRT1/STAT3 signalling and tight-junction proteins (Mao et al., Frontiers in Pharmacology 2025). An injectable hydroxyapatite microsphere filler loaded with GHK-Cu showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in a materials study (Hu et al., Colloids and Surfaces B 2025).
Human evidence: what exists and what does not
For the topical market the striking fact is how little controlled human data there are. A 2025 review of GHK as an anti-wrinkle ingredient concluded that cellular studies support the concept, that GHK-Cu and Pal-GHK are widely used, and that there is “a surprising absence of clinical studies using them,” with insufficient published data on skin permeability, effectiveness and physicochemical properties (Mortazavi et al., 2025). The trial registry shows a completed phase 4 study of facial skin quality and hydration, a recruiting phase 2 trial of a topical GHK-Cu gel for acute wound healing, and a two-part study of circulating GHK. For injected or systemic GHK-Cu there are no human trials in the sources reviewed.
| Route | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Topical (cosmetic) | Cell studies strong; clinical studies scarce (Mortazavi et al., 2025); one phase 4 skin-quality trial completed | Permitted cosmetic ingredient |
| Topical (wound healing) | Phase 2 gel trial recruiting (NCT07437586) | Investigational |
| Injected / systemic | Mouse models only (muscle, lung, colon) | No human data; not approved |
Pharmacokinetics and skin permeation
Endogenous GHK circulates at nanogram-per-millilitre levels and declines with age (Dou et al., 2020). Whether topically applied GHK-Cu or Pal-GHK penetrates skin in amounts sufficient to act is unresolved; the 2025 review identifies skin permeability as an open question and reviews the enhancement methods tried (Mortazavi et al., 2025). No human pharmacokinetic study of injected GHK-Cu — half-life, copper distribution, or clearance — appears in the literature reviewed.
Regulatory status as of September 2026
GHK-Cu is permitted as a cosmetic ingredient for topical use in most markets. It is not an approved drug by any route in the United States, Canada or the European Union. Injectable “GHK-Cu” vials are sold in the grey market, alone and in the GLOW and KLOW blends; these are unlicensed products of unverified content, and the copper they carry raises an additional, unstudied question about oxidative interactions with co-formulated peptides.
GHK-Cu in the blends
GHK-Cu is the “G” in GLOW (with BPC-157 and TB-500) and in KLOW (with KPV added). It is the only component of either blend with any human data — and those data are topical, cosmetic and thin. Combining it by injection with peptides that have no human data does not borrow credibility from the skin literature. The copper-peptides guide covers the topical evidence in detail; the GLOW and KLOW guides cover the blends.
Reading the claims responsibly
GHK-Cu sits in an unusual position: a real human peptide, a coherent cell biology, a large commercial footprint, and a clinical evidence base that a sympathetic review still calls surprisingly absent. This profile describes that gap; it is not guidance on obtaining or using any product and it is not medical advice.
Sequence
One-letter sequence commonly cited for GHK-Cu (educational; isoforms and modifications may differ):
GHK
Residues plotted ~100° apart around an α-helix — clustering of one color reveals an amphipathic face.
Structure & chemistry
Molecular identity & reference confidence
Source-supported reference
Reference values are taken from the cited molecular record or curated profile. A database match is not independent laboratory verification; modifications, counter-ions, and formulations can change the measured mass.
- Molecular form
- Tripeptide Gly-His-Lys (GHK) chelating one copper(II) ion; the copper binds through the glycine amine, the histidine imidazole and backbone nitrogens
- Species
- Not established by this molecular identity audit
- Termini (N / C)
- Not specified / Not specified
Average reference mass
Reference policy updated: 2026-10-05
- PubChem molecular record · 2026-10-01
- Molecular formula
- C14H21CuN6O4-
- Average reference mass
- ≈ 400.9
- Backbone
- Tripeptide Gly-His-Lys (GHK) chelating one copper(II) ion; the copper binds through the glycine amine, the histidine imidazole and backbone nitrogens
- Status
- Cosmetic ingredient (topical) in most markets; not an approved drug. Registry: a phase 2 topical wound-healing gel trial recruiting and a phase 4 facial-skin study completed (snapshot September 2026)
- PubChem CID: 139035031
Chemistry values: curated profile, PubChem · fetched 2026-10-01.
Clinical development snapshot
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered studies with “GHK-Cu” as an intervention (snapshot 2026-09-06). A registry footprint is not evidence of efficacy or approval.
| NCT | Title | Phase | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07706361 | Two-Part Study of the Effects of the X39 Patch on Circulating GHK and GHK-Cu Levels in Healthy Adults | Not applicable | not yet recruiting | 2026-07-15 |
| NCT07437586 | Topical GHK-Cu Gel for Acute Skin Wound Healing | Phase 2 | recruiting | 2026-02-27 |
| NCT05932732 | Trial Assessing the Impact on Facial Skin Quality, Hydration, and Skin Barrier of Three (3) Hydrafacial Treatm | Phase 4 | completed | 2024-10-24 |
GHK-Cu — reconstitution calculator
Enter how much peptide is in the vial and how much diluent (e.g. bacteriostatic water) is added. The tool returns the resulting solution concentration — and, for any amount you type, the volume it corresponds to. This is educational arithmetic, not a dosing recommendation.
Reference form: Tripeptide Gly-His-Lys (GHK) chelating one copper(II) ion; the copper binds through the glycine amine, the histidine imidazole and backbone nitrogensAverage reference mass: 400.9 Da
Enter an amount to see the volume it corresponds to.
Educational concentration mathematics only. This tool does not recommend a dose, amount, or protocol, and nothing here is medical advice. Many peptides are not authorized by Health Canada for human use — see our reconstitution and bacteriostatic-water guides for context.
Change log
Dated observations from the data pipeline (registry flags, trial footprints, identifiers) and editorial reviews of this profile.
- EditorialProfile content reviewed and updated by the editorial team.
FAQ about GHK-Cu
What is GHK-Cu?+
GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a tripeptide found in human plasma at about 200 ng/mL at age 20 and 80 ng/mL by 60. It has a wide cell and animal literature on collagen synthesis, wound repair and anti-inflammatory signalling, a cosmetic market built on it, and — as a 2025 review notes — a surprising absence of clinical studies. Topical use is permitted as a cosmetic; it is not an approved drug.
What Canadian product status is recorded for GHK-Cu?+
Canadian product status for GHK-Cu has not been verified in this profile. No verified record here does not mean no authorization exists. Status depends on the product, formulation and use; consult Health Canada's product records.
What is the typical length of GHK-Cu?+
GHK-Cu is commonly described as approximately 3 amino acids (Cosmetic / research peptide).
What is GHK-Cu?+
The copper(II) complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a natural component of human plasma that declines with age. It is studied for collagen synthesis, wound repair and anti-inflammatory effects.
Does GHK-Cu work on skin?+
Cell studies support collagen and glycosaminoglycan stimulation, but a 2025 review found a surprising absence of clinical studies of GHK-Cu products and unresolved questions about skin penetration.
Is GHK-Cu approved?+
As a topical cosmetic ingredient, yes in most markets. As a drug by any route, no.
Is injected GHK-Cu safe or effective?+
There are no human trials of injected GHK-Cu. Systemic data are from mouse models only.
How much GHK is in the blood?+
About 200 ng/mL at age 20, falling to about 80 ng/mL by age 60 (Dou et al., 2020).
What is the difference between GHK-Cu and GLOW?+
GLOW is a vendor blend of GHK-Cu with BPC-157 and TB-500. GHK-Cu alone has topical cosmetic data; the blend has none.
Further reading
- Cosmetic peptidesGHK-Cu and Copper Peptides: The Science of Skin and RepairWhat GHK-Cu is, why copper peptides are studied in skin and wound research, and how cosmetic use differs from injectable research claims. An evidence-focused educational explainer.
- Blends explainedWhat Is the “GLOW” Peptide? GHK-Cu + BPC-157 + TB-500, Explained From the Evidence“GLOW peptide” is a vendor blend name for GHK-Cu, BPC-157 and TB-500 in one vial. This guide explains each component, the linked cellular and animal evidence, the gaps for a three-way injectable blend, and product-specific authorization.
- Blends explainedWhat Is the “KLOW” Peptide? KPV + GHK-Cu + BPC-157 + TB-500, Component by Component“KLOW peptide” is a four-peptide vendor blend: KPV, GHK-Cu, BPC-157 and TB-500. This guide explains what each is, what has been studied in humans (very little beyond topical GHK-Cu), why a four-way mix is untested, and where it stands legally.
- CategoriesCosmetic Peptides vs Research Peptides: What’s the Difference?GHK-Cu, Matrixyl, SNAP-8 and skincare peptides versus injectable research peptides—regulation, exposure routes, and marketing language.
- SafetyPeptide Safety and Risks: A Balanced Educational OverviewAn objective, balanced overview of what research does and does not establish about peptide risks—unknowns, purity and contamination concerns, and why unapproved compounds carry uncertainty. Not reassurance and not medical advice.
Related peptides
References & further reading
- 1.Pickart (2008). The human tri-peptide GHK and tissue remodeling. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed
- 2.Pickart et al. (2018). Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data. Int J Mol Sci
- 3.Maquart et al. (1988). Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+. FEBS Lett
- 4.Maquart et al. (1993). In vivo stimulation of connective tissue accumulation by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ in rat experimental wounds. J Clin Invest
- 5.Fu et al. (2015). Tripeptide-copper complex GHK-Cu (II) transiently improved healing outcome in a rat model of ACL reconstruction. J Orthop Res
- 6.Jiang et al. (2023). Synergy of GHK-Cu and hyaluronic acid on collagen IV upregulation via fibroblast and ex-vivo skin tests. J Cosmet Dermatol
- 7.Pickart et al. (2014). GHK and DNA: resetting the human genome to health. Biomed Res Int
- 8.Dou et al. (2020). The potential of GHK as an anti-aging peptide. Aging Pathobiol Ther
- 9.Beretta et al. (2008). Acrolein sequestering ability of the endogenous tripeptide glycyl-histidyl-lysine (GHK): characterization of conjugation products by ESI-MSn and theoretical calculations. J Pharm Biomed Anal
- 10.Pickart et al. (2015). GHK Peptide as a Natural Modulator of Multiple Cellular Pathways in Skin Regeneration. Biomed Res Int
- 11.Pickart et al. (2017). The Effect of the Human Peptide GHK on Gene Expression Relevant to Nervous System Function and Cognitive Decline. Brain Sci
- 12.Pickart et al. (2012). The human tripeptide GHK-Cu in prevention of oxidative stress and degenerative conditions of aging: implications for cognitive health. Oxid Med Cell Longev
- 13.Pyo et al. (2007). The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro. Arch Pharm Res
- 14.Conato et al. (2001). Copper complexes of glycyl-histidyl-lysine and two of its synthetic analogues: chemical behaviour and biological activity. Biochim Biophys Acta
- 15.Wegrowski et al. (1992). Stimulation of sulfated glycosaminoglycan synthesis by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+. Life Sci
- 16.Mortazavi et al. (2025). Topically applied GHK as an anti-wrinkle peptide: Advantages, problems and prospective. Bioimpacts
- 17.Deng et al. (2023). Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ rescues cigarette smoking-induced skeletal muscle dysfunction via a sirtuin 1-dependent pathway. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
- 18.Bian et al. (2024). The glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ tripeptide complex attenuates lung inflammation and fibrosis in silicosis by targeting peroxiredoxin 6. Redox Biology
- 19.Mao et al. (2025). Exploring the beneficial effects of GHK-Cu on an experimental model of colitis and the underlying mechanisms. Frontiers in Pharmacology
- 20.Mendias & Awan (2026). Safety and efficacy of approved and unapproved peptide therapies for musculoskeletal injuries and athletic performance. Sports Medicine
- 21.PubChem — Copper tripeptide GHK-Cu, CID 139035031