GHK-CU

Description

GHK-Cu is the copper-bound form of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, an endogenous signalling molecule first identified in human plasma. The peptide forms a tightly chelated complex with a divalent copper ion through coordination at the histidine imidazole and adjacent amine groups, producing a stable structure that controls copper bioavailability in biochemical and cellular assays.

Because copper is a required cofactor for a wide set of enzymes, including lysyl oxidase, superoxide dismutase, and cytochrome c oxidase, GHK-Cu is studied as a regulated carrier that delivers copper to specific intracellular targets. The peptide component itself has been observed in research to modulate gene-expression profiles connected with extracellular matrix turnover, fibroblast behaviour, and redox-responsive signalling.

Common research applications include in-vitro work on fibroblast and keratinocyte cultures, transcriptomic profiling of copper-responsive gene networks, comparative studies of the chelated complex versus free copper salts, and investigations into peptide-mediated changes in collagen and elastin pathway markers.

Sold for research and laboratory use only. Not for human or veterinary use, diagnosis, or treatment. Purchasers must be 18 or older.