GHK-Cu is three amino acids holding a single copper ion. It appears in skin creams and in lab research on tissue repair. This site sets out what is known about it, and how much of that comes from people rather than cells and animals.
GHK stands for glycine, histidine and lysine, the three amino acids that make up this tiny peptide. The body carries small amounts of it in blood, saliva and urine, and it grabs copper ions very readily. When it holds copper, it is called GHK-Cu.
It was first noticed in the 1970s as a factor in human blood that changed how liver cells behaved in culture. Since then it has been studied for skin and wound repair and, more recently, for its apparent effects on gene activity. It also became a popular ingredient in anti-ageing cosmetics.
Enthusiasm for GHK-Cu often runs ahead of the evidence. The pages that follow separate test-tube and animal findings from the smaller set of human studies, with a link to every source.
| Full name | Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper(II) |
| Other names | Copper tripeptide-1 (cosmetic ingredient name), prezatide copper |
| Peptide alone | C14H24N6O4, molecular weight about 340 |
| With copper | About 403 |
| Where it occurs | Human plasma, saliva and urine; the sequence also sits inside collagen |
| Main uses | Cosmetic creams and serums; laboratory research |
| Medicine status | Not approved as a medicine in the EU, UK or US |
Nothing on this website is medical or cosmetic advice. Research-grade GHK-Cu is not a skincare product or a treatment. If you have a skin, wound or health problem, talk to a professional.
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