MECHANISM OF ACTION
GHK-Cu is a tiny three-amino-acid peptide (a tripeptide) that your body makes naturally, and it carries a copper ion along with it. Think of it as a repair signal. Young people have plenty of it; levels drop significantly with age. It tells the skin to produce more collagen (the protein that keeps skin firm), elastin (which keeps skin springy), and other structural proteins. It also switches on antioxidant enzymes that mop up damaging molecules in cells. The really striking finding: researchers mapped it against the human genome and found it interacts with over 4,000 genes, most of them involved in repair, regeneration, and anti-ageing pathways. It's used both in skincare products and in injectable research formats.
RESEARCH APPLICATIONS
- Collagen and elastin synthesis (dermal repair, Skin Glow)
- Wound recovery - topical and systemic models
- Hair follicle regeneration
- Genomic expression profiling (repair and longevity genes)
- Lung tissue protection (fibrosis, COPD models)
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Gene Expression Regulation - 4000+ Genes
2018Bioinformatic analysis identified GHK-Cu interacting with >4000 genes, upregulating DNA repair, anti-inflammatory, and mitochondrial function pathways.
Ref: Pickart & Margolina, Sci World J
Collagen and Elastin Stimulation
1988Dose-dependent upregulation of procollagen I and III in dermal fibroblasts, with elastin and decorin co-stimulation.
Ref: Maquart et al., FEBS Lett
RESEARCH PROTOCOL NOTES
Chemical Identity
Sequence
Gly-His-Lys · Cu²⁺
Storage & Stability
Lyophilised: 2–8°C for years. In solution: maintain pH 6.0–6.5 to prevent copper dissociation. Reconstituted: 2–8°C, 30 days. Blue/teal colour is normal - confirms intact Cu²⁺ complex.
Regulatory Status
GRAS as cosmetic ingredient (CIR 2007). Topical = cosmetic/unscheduled. Injectable/systemic = research compound. Not WADA prohibited.