GHK-Cu copper tripeptide 50mg research peptide

Copper tripeptide GHK-Cu: a research overview

Like a well-worn winter sweater, the copper tripeptide GHK-Cu has been around a long time. It was first described in 1980, and it has a long paper trail in skin and tissue-repair research.

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Published findings

Early work showed the tripeptide readily forms complexes with copper and helps cultured liver-cancer cells take up the metal (Nature, 1980) ^[1]. Since then, reviews have summarized wound-repair experiments in rodents and pigs ^[2], plus findings in connective tissue of the lung, bone, liver and the stomach lining ^[3]. Cosmetic studies using topical formulations have reported changes in skin appearance ^[2]. It's worth knowing that the best-known reviews were written by authors from a commercial skin-biology research group, and that well-controlled human trials of systemic GHK-Cu are absent from the cited literature. The FDA likewise describes human data for injectable GHK-Cu as limited ^[4].

Mechanism at a glance

GHK stands for glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a tripeptide naturally present in human plasma, saliva and urine whose levels fall with age ^[2]. Bound to copper, it is reported to influence both the build-up and breakdown of collagen and glycosaminoglycans and to adjust metalloproteinase activity ^[2]. Gene-expression analyses suggest it can nudge many biochemical pathways at once ^[3].

Regulatory & WADA notes

The FDA's compounding-risk page lists "GHK-Cu (for injectable routes of administration)" among substances once in category 2 whose nominations were withdrawn, pointing to immunogenicity risk and sparse human data ^[4]. GHK-Cu does not appear by name on WADA's 2026 Prohibited List; S0 applies to pharmacological substances lacking current government approval for human therapeutic use, and anti-doping bodies decide how it applies ^[5].

Thanks for reading. Stay warm, and keep your bench notes tidy.

Further reading

1. Growth-modulating plasma tripeptide may function by facilitating copper uptake into cells. Nature. 1980;288(5792):715-7. PMID 7453802. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7453802/
2. GHK Peptide as a Natural Modulator of Multiple Cellular Pathways in Skin Regeneration. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:648108. PMID 26236730. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26236730/
3. Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(7). PMID 29986520. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29986520/
4. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, human drug compounding web page (accessed Oct 4, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks
5. World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026 (in effect 1 January 2026). World Anti-Doping Agency, 2026 Prohibited List. https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/2026list_en_final_clean_september_2025.pdf

For laboratory research use only. This product is not intended for human or veterinary use and is not an FDA-approved drug; nothing on this page is medical advice. You must be 21 or older to purchase.