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 floorCommunityREF1COMM1Approximate 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.
Regulatory status
United States · reviewed September 2026- Basis
- Used in cosmetics; no drug approval and no registered human drug trials.
Status describes the molecule as a drug substance under US law and is an editorial reading of the public record — approvals, trial registrations, and the FDA 503A bulk-substances list. It is not legal advice and it changes; the review date above is the last time the table was checked. Other jurisdictions are noted only where they differ materially.
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).
- Is GHK-Cu FDA-approved?
- No — as of September 2026, GHK-Cu is sold outside the approved-drug system as research-use-only material, with no FDA approval for human use. Used in cosmetics; no drug approval and no registered human drug trials. Status is US-centric and can change; check the FDA record for the current position.
In the literature
Live registry counts · retrieved- Ph 10
- Ph 21
- Ph 30
- Ph 40
Searched as GHK-Cu, copper tripeptide. Counts are search hits from the primary registries, not a curated set and not a grade – a measure of how much work exists on GHK-Cu, not how it turned out.
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.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.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.