RFK JR. ANNOUNCEMENT · FEB 27 2026 · 14 PEPTIDES RETURN TO CATEGORY 1DATABASE UPDATED · 847 NEW PUBMED CITATIONS THIS WEEKRETATRUTIDE · GRADE B EVIDENCE · 4 NEW CLINICAL TRIALSCOA SCANS · 2,341 BATCHES VERIFIED BY COMMUNITY THIS MONTHFDA ENFORCEMENT · PEPTIDE SCIENCES SHUTDOWN · MAR 2026GLP-1 DIRECTORY · 47 VERIFIED TELEHEALTH CLINICSRFK JR. ANNOUNCEMENT · FEB 27 2026 · 14 PEPTIDES RETURN TO CATEGORY 1DATABASE UPDATED · 847 NEW PUBMED CITATIONS THIS WEEKRETATRUTIDE · GRADE B EVIDENCE · 4 NEW CLINICAL TRIALSCOA SCANS · 2,341 BATCHES VERIFIED BY COMMUNITY THIS MONTHFDA ENFORCEMENT · PEPTIDE SCIENCES SHUTDOWN · MAR 2026GLP-1 DIRECTORY · 47 VERIFIED TELEHEALTH CLINICS
Home/Compounds/GHK-Cu
Cosmetic

GHK-Cu

Also known as: Copper Peptide · Copper Tripeptide-1

Copper-binding tripeptide with wound healing, anti-aging, and hair growth properties.

B
Grade B
Human observational studies
Human studies22
PubMed citations30
Typical dose1 mg – 3 mg
Routesubcutaneous, topical
Regulatory (US)Compounding legal
Last verifiedyesterday
TL;DR · 30-second summary
  • Increased collagen synthesis in aged skin
  • Accelerated wound healing vs placebo
  • Hair follicle stimulation demonstrated
  • Anti-inflammatory properties confirmed

Mechanism of action

Naturally occurring peptide that declines with age. Promotes collagen synthesis, glycosaminoglycan production, wound healing, and has antioxidant effects. Modulates multiple gene expressions.

Evidence summary

22
Human studies
30
PubMed citations
0
Clinical trials
B
Evidence grade

Human studies confirm improved wound healing, increased collagen in photoaged skin, and hair growth stimulation. Topical applications well-documented.

Dosing protocols

Educational information only. Consult a licensed provider before using any peptide.
Dose range
1 mg – 3 mg

Topical: 1-3% in serums. Injectable: 1-3mg 2-3x weekly. Can be used systemically or locally for targeted effects.

Administration routes
subcutaneoustopical

Side effects & safety

Reported side effects
Mild irritation (topical)Injection site reactionsRare: nausea
Contraindications
  • Wilson disease
  • Copper hypersensitivity
  • Active cancer (theoretical)

Interactions

No documented drug interactions on file.

Regulatory status

United States
Not FDA approved

Topical forms available OTC. Injectable available through compounding.

Compounding
Permitted

Available through compounding pharmacies with valid prescription.

Regulatory data last verified 4/17/2026

Citations

PMID 41490200Rahman OF, Lee SJ et al. · Therapeutic Peptides in Orthopaedics: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews (2026)HumanPMID 41476424Mayfield CK, Bolia IK et al. · Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians.The American journal of sports medicine (2026)HumanPMID 40592840Cong R, Deng C et al. · Dimeric copper peptide incorporated hydrogel for promoting diabetic wound healing.Nature communications (2025)HumanPMID 39902373Chen H, Yang P et al. · Food-Derived Tripeptide-Copper Self-Healing Hydrogel for Infected Wound Healing.Biomaterials research (2025)PMID 40766919Tucker M, Liao GY et al. · Behavioral and neuropathological features of Alzheimer's disease are attenuated in 5xFAD mice treated with intranasal GHK peptide.Aging pathobiology and therapeutics (2025)HumanPMID 39963574Mortazavi SM, Mohammadi Vadoud SA et al. · Topically applied GHK as an anti-wrinkle peptide: Advantages, problems and prospective.BioImpacts : BI (2025)HumanPMID 40672369Mao S, Huang J et al. · Exploring the beneficial effects of GHK-Cu on an experimental model of colitis and the underlying mechanisms.Frontiers in pharmacology (2025)HumanPMID 38045355Tucker M, Liao GY et al. · Behavioral and neuropathological features of Alzheimer's disease are attenuated in 5xFAD mice treated with intranasal GHK peptide.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology (2025)HumanPMID 38879894Bian Y, Deng M et al. · The glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine-Cu2+ tripeptide complex attenuates lung inflammation and fibrosis in silicosis by targeting peroxiredoxin 6.Redox biology (2024)HumanPMID 35083444Dou Y, Lee A et al. · The potential of GHK as an anti-aging peptide.Aging pathobiology and therapeutics (2024)HumanPMID 38837577Zhang X, Zhang B et al. · Copper-Induced Supramolecular Peptide Assemblies for Multi-Pathway Cell Death and Tumor Inhibition.Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English) (2024)HumanPMID 36905132Deng M, Zhang Q et al. · Glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine-Cu2+ rescues cigarette smoking-induced skeletal muscle dysfunction via a sirtuin 1-dependent pathway.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle (2023)HumanPMID 38014118Tucker M, Keely A et al. · Intranasal GHK peptide enhances resilience to cognitive decline in aging mice.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology (2023)HumanPMID 37832839Lee S, Lee SM et al. · In situ photo-crosslinkable hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel embedded with GHK peptide nanofibers for bioactive wound healing.Acta biomaterialia (2023)PMID 37624577An P, Zhang Z et al. · Ultrasensitive and Label-Free Detection of Copper Ions by GHK-Modified Asymmetric Nanochannels.Analytical chemistry (2023)PMID 37896245Dymek M, Olechowska K et al. · Liposomes as Carriers of GHK-Cu Tripeptide for Cosmetic Application.Pharmaceutics (2023)HumanPMID 35598070Yang X, Zhang Y et al. · Biomimetic Hydrogel Scaffolds with Copper Peptide-Functionalized RADA16 Nanofiber Improve Wound Healing in Diabetes.Macromolecular bioscience (2022)PMID 32598511Zheng F, Guo J et al. · Coassemble dopamine and GHK tripeptide into fluorescent nanoparticles for pH sensing.Luminescence : the journal of biological and chemical luminescence (2021)HumanPMID 32371360Alshammari N, Platts JA · Theoretical study of copper binding to GHK peptide.Computational biology and chemistry (2021)PMID 32825031Hsiao CD, Wu HH et al. · Expression and Purification of Recombinant GHK Tripeptides Are Able to Protect against Acute Cardiotoxicity from Exposure to Waterborne-Copper in Zebrafish.Biomolecules (2021)Human

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