GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine plus a copper-2 ion) that occurs naturally in human plasma. It is one of the most-studied peptides in dermatology, with decades of literature on collagen synthesis, wound healing, and anti-inflammatory activity. Research uses both topical (0.05–0.2%) and subcutaneous formulations.
Research notes
How does GHK-Cu work?
GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide that occurs naturally in human plasma. It's one of the most-studied peptides in dermatology with decades of literature on wound healing, collagen synthesis, and anti-inflammatory activity.
What doses are used in research?
Topical formulations at 0.05–0.2% concentration are the most common research format. Subcutaneous research protocols use 1–2 mg per dose, less commonly than topical.
Which vendors carry GHK-Cu?
GHK-Cu is widely stocked but quality varies considerably. The peptide's copper binding makes purity assessment more involved than standard peptides — the COA must verify both the tripeptide and the copper coordination. Top vendors include both metrics; bottom-tier vendors often only report tripeptide purity.
What it's researched for
- skin regeneration
- hair growth
- anti-aging
Where to source it
ALL 8 VENDORS →RANKED BY COMPOSITE SCORE · PRICES ARE SNAPSHOTS FROM THE PRICE INDEX · PER-MG IS A WITHIN-COMPOUND COMPARATOR
Frequently asked about GHK-Cu
What is GHK-Cu?
GHK-Cu is a tripeptide consisting of the amino-acid sequence glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine bound to a copper-2 ion. The peptide occurs naturally in human plasma and was first characterized in the 1970s. It is most-known for its role in skin regeneration and wound-healing research.
What is GHK-Cu used for in research?
Published research focuses on collagen synthesis, wound-healing acceleration, hair-follicle research, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The dermatology literature is the largest and longest-running body of work; subcutaneous and IV protocols appear in more recent longevity-focused research.
Is GHK-Cu safe?
GHK-Cu is naturally produced in human plasma, which gives it a different safety profile from synthetic peptides without endogenous analogs. Topical use at research concentrations has shown a low irritation rate in published studies. Subcutaneous research protocols are less well-characterized for adverse-event data; research-grade material is not for human administration.
What concentrations are used in GHK-Cu research?
Topical research most often uses 0.05–0.2% w/v concentration. Subcutaneous research protocols cite 1–2 mg per dose, though this format appears less frequently than topical. Vial sizes from research-peptide vendors typically range from 50 mg to 200 mg per vial for reconstitution.
What is the typical purity of research-grade GHK-Cu?
Janoshik Analytical and vendor-published COAs in our corpus typically show 95–99% purity by HPLC for GHK-Cu from audited vendors. Identity is usually confirmed by mass spectrometry; per-vendor data is in the leaderboard further down this page.