Entry 0003Rev 1.0Copper tripeptide complex

GHK-Cu

Gly-His-Lys · Cu(II) · C14H22CuN6O4

Reviewed

2 Nov 2026

Scientific editor

[Name, PhD]

References

12 sources

GHK is a chain of three amino acids, glycine, histidine and lysine, found in human plasma. It binds copper tightly, and the copper complex is GHK-Cu, a blue powder. Loren Pickart isolated the peptide in 1973 while looking for a factor in plasma that changed how liver cells behaved.1

Most of the research is in cell culture and animal wound models. The human work is a handful of small cosmetic studies on skin. It is not a medicine anywhere, though it is a common cosmetic ingredient under the name copper tripeptide-1.

Residues

3

Avg mass, complex

401.9 g/mol

First isolated

1973

Human trials

Small, cosmetic

01

Identity

GHK is one of the smallest peptides in this library. The histidine in the middle and the free N-terminus together hold a copper ion, which is why the complex is blue and why the two forms are not the same material.

Fig. 1 · Sequence map. Histidine, shaded, holds the copper.

GHK (free peptide)GHK-Cu (complex)
FormulaC14H24N6O4C14H22CuN6O4
Avg mass340.4 g/mol401.9 g/mol
CAS49557-75-789030-95-5
AppearanceWhite powderBlue powder

Supplier listings often mix the two names. The vial on this page is the copper complex. Its mass, not the free peptide's, is the one to use in a calculation.2

02

History

  1. Pickart and Thaler report a plasma tripeptide that keeps liver cells alive in culture.1

  2. The peptide is identified as glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine.3

  3. Shown to carry copper into cells, which explains much of what follows.4

  4. Shown to raise collagen output in fibroblast cultures.5

  5. Wound studies in rats and rabbits by veterinary groups.6,7

  6. Reviews collect its reported effects on gene expression in skin cells.8,9

03

What the studies measured

The main lines of research, with the model used. Rows in cell culture say nothing on their own about living tissue.

AreaModelWhat was measuredSource
Liver cellsRat liver cells in cultureCell survival and growth with plasma fractions[1]
Copper transportCultured cellsUptake of copper into cells with and without the peptide[4]
CollagenHuman fibroblasts in cultureCollagen and glycosaminoglycan output[5]
WoundsRat ischaemic open woundsWound closure and tissue at the wound bed[6]
WoundsDiabetic rat wounds, collagen matrix with bound GHKClosure rate and tissue formation[7]
Gene expressionHuman cell linesWhich genes went up or down after exposure, from database analyses[9]
SkinSmall studies in volunteers, topical creamSkin thickness, elasticity and wrinkle scores[8],[10]
04

Human studies

The human data are cosmetic: creams applied to skin in small groups, often reported in reviews written by people connected to the products.8 There is no published trial of GHK-Cu given any other way, and no trial in a disease.

TypeWhat was doneSizeSource
Facial studiesTopical GHK-Cu cream against a placebo cream for weeks to monthsSmall, tens of people[8],[10]
Cosmetic reviewsSummaries of the above with safety notes—[11]
05

Regulatory and sport status

As of this revision. General information, not legal advice.

WhereStatus
UK and EUNo marketing authorisation as a medicine. Permitted as a cosmetic ingredient (INCI name copper tripeptide-1).11
USNot FDA-approved as a drug. Used in cosmetics.
SportNot named on the WADA Prohibited List. Any substance with no approval for human therapeutic use can still fall under class S0.12
06

Open questions

  1. Whether the copper or the peptide does the work. Many reported effects track copper delivery, and copper alone is active in some of the same assays.
  2. How much of the gene-expression story holds up outside database analysis. The widely quoted gene counts come from one group's computational work.9
  3. What a topical result means for any other route. No study has looked.
07

Common questions

What does GHK stand for?

Glycine, histidine, lysine: the three amino acids in the chain, written with their one-letter codes.

Are GHK and GHK-Cu two different things?

Yes. GHK is the free peptide. GHK-Cu is the peptide holding a copper ion, which is heavier and blue. This vial contains the copper complex.

What gives the powder its colour?

Copper(II) bound to the peptide absorbs red light, so the complex looks blue. The free peptide is white.

Has GHK-Cu been tested in people?

Only as a cosmetic cream on skin, in small studies. There are no trials of it for any medical condition.

Is GHK-Cu banned in sport?

It is not named on the WADA list. Anything without approval for human use can still fall under the catch-all class S0, so athletes should check with their anti-doping body.

—

See also

BPC-157 Entry 0001KPV Entry 0006GLOW blendHow we test a lot Method
08

References

  1. Pickart L, Thaler MM. Tripeptide in human serum which prolongs survival of normal liver cells and stimulates growth in neoplastic liver. Nature. 1973;243:85–87. PMID 4349963
  2. PubChem. Prezatide copper (GHK-Cu). Compound record; and Wikipedia, Copper peptide GHK-Cu, for identifiers.
  3. Schlesinger DH, Pickart L, Thaler MM. Growth-modulating serum tripeptide is glycyl-histidyl-lysine. Experientia. 1977. PMID 858356
  4. Pickart L, et al. Growth-modulating plasma tripeptide may function by facilitating copper uptake into cells. Nature. 1980. PMID 7453802
  5. Maquart FX, et al. Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+. FEBS Lett. 1988. PMID 3169264
  6. Canapp SO, et al. The effect of topical tripeptide-copper complex on healing of ischemic open wounds. Vet Surg. 2003. PMID 14648529
  7. Arul V, et al. Biotinylated GHK peptide incorporated collagenous matrix: a novel biomaterial for dermal wound healing in rats. Life Sci. 2007. PMID 17049946
  8. Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. GHK peptide as a natural modulator of multiple cellular pathways in skin regeneration. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:648108. PMID 26236730
  9. Pickart L, Margolina A. 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
  10. Mortazavi SM, et al. Copper peptide GHK-Cu in skin: a review. BioImpacts. 2024. PMID 39963574
  11. Gorouhi F, Maibach HI. Role of topical peptides in preventing or treating aged skin. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2009. PMID 19570099
  12. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, class S0. wada-ama.org

Peptidarium Library. GHK-Cu (entry 0003), revision 1.0, 2 November 2026. peptidarium.com/library/ghk-cu

09

Revision history

RevDateChangeBy
1.02 Nov 2026Entry created.[Scientific editor]

Spotted an error or a missing paper? Send a correction. Every change is logged here.