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PeptideHormone

GHK-Cu

An endogenous copper-binding tripeptide studied mainly in skin biology.

EndogenousLimited

Copper is not usually thought of as a signal; a three-residue carrier makes it one. The marketing has run a long way ahead of the literature.

Identity

Class
Copper-binding tripeptide (Gly-His-Lys, with Cu²⁺)
Source
Endogenous; declines with age in plasma
Receptor
No classical receptor; acts via copper delivery and gene-expression effects

Key properties

Evidence floorCommunityREF1COMM1
Molecular weight
≈ 340.4 Da
REF
Half-life (native)
Minutes in plasma (poorly characterized)
COMMHalf-life is poorly characterized in humans. The figure is indicative of order-of-magnitude, not an established value.

Approximate values for the native hormone; engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting. Each figure carries its own provenance tier, and the floor is the weakest of them - the Standard.

Mechanism

GHK is a naturally occurring tripeptide that avidly binds copper. The GHK-Cu complex influences skin remodeling, collagen synthesis, and antioxidant gene expression, giving it a real role in dermatology — though many broader, systemic claims rest on limited human evidence.

Reference notes

  • GHK is endogenous and its plasma level declines with age.
  • It acts substantially through copper delivery and gene-expression effects, not a single receptor.
  • Topical/dermatological evidence is the strongest; broader systemic claims are not well established.

Common questions

What is GHK-Cu?
An endogenous copper-binding tripeptide studied mainly in skin biology. Structurally it is Copper-binding tripeptide (Gly-His-Lys, with Cu²⁺).
How does GHK-Cu work?
GHK is a naturally occurring tripeptide that avidly binds copper. The GHK-Cu complex influences skin remodeling, collagen synthesis, and antioxidant gene expression, giving it a real role in dermatology — though many broader, systemic claims rest on limited human evidence.
How strong is the evidence for GHK-Cu?
PeptideHormone grades GHK-Cu at the "Limited" evidence tier — the evidence is sparse, older, or mostly community-reported. It is catalogued as an endogenous signal the body produces itself, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.
What is the half-life of GHK-Cu?
The reported circulating half-life of GHK-Cu is Minutes in plasma (poorly characterized).

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

  1. 1.Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data · International journal of molecular sciences, 2018 · PMID 29986520
  2. 2.Topically applied GHK as an anti-wrinkle peptide: Advantages, problems and prospective · BioImpacts : BI, 2025 · PMID 39963574

External references

GHK-Cu in the public knowledge graph — the same entity resolved across the authoritative chemistry and protein databases.