GHK-Cu 100mg

GHK-Cu at a glance

Few research peptides are as small as GHK-Cu. The molecule is just three residues long, Gly-His-Lys, holding a single copper(II) ion through nitrogen atoms on the histidine side chain and the peptide backbone. The resulting complex has the formula C14H24CuN6O4 and a molecular weight of 403.9 g/mol. Endogenous GHK was first identified in human plasma, and reported levels are lower in older individuals than in younger ones, an observation that shaped much of the later interest in it.

Price and availability

Core Peptides lists this single 100mg vial, shipped from the United States. The price is $65.00, or $0.65 per milligram of peptide. Across 23 brands listing GHK-Cu here, the middle half of prices falls between $0.06 and $0.57 per mg; this kit is above the typical range. Your payment waits in escrow until you confirm the parcel arrived, and only then is it released to the brand.

What it is studied for

Two lines of explanation recur in the literature. The first treats GHK as a carrier that can hand copper to cells and to copper-dependent enzymes, among them lysyl oxidase, which cross-links collagen and elastin. The second concerns transcription: gene-expression profiling studies have reported that GHK shifts the activity of a large number of human genes, including clusters linked to tissue remodeling, antioxidant defense and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Fibroblast cultures exposed to the complex have been reported to produce more matrix components, and metalloproteinase activity is described as modulated rather than simply suppressed. How much of this carries over from culture dishes to living tissue is still debated.

Research and regulatory status

The bulk of the research sits in dermatology and cosmetic science: topical formulations, wound models in rodents, hair-follicle work and fibroblast assays. Copper peptides are already a familiar cosmetic ingredient, yet that commercial use is not equivalent to drug approval, and GHK-Cu holds no approved therapeutic indication. Large randomized human trials are scarce, so most claims rest on in-vitro, animal and small cosmetic studies. Anyone reading this literature should note who funded each study and whether its endpoint was measured objectively.

Checking the lab data

Identity is best confirmed by mass spectrometry showing a peak consistent with the copper complex or, after dissociation in the instrument, the free GHK tripeptide; a good report states which species it measured. HPLC purity should be batch-specific. Because copper content defines the product, some labs add a metal assay such as ICP-MS or a copper-to-peptide ratio. Expect a blue to blue-violet lyophilized cake; a white or greenish powder warrants questions.

This listing has no third-party report on file yet. The lab reports directory and the GHK-Cu page show which brands do publish testing.

Listing details

Compound

GHK-Cu

Synonyms

Copper Tripeptide-1, Glycyl-L-Histidyl-L-Lysine copper complex

Class

Copper-binding tripeptide complex

Format

Lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder

Molecular formula

C₁₄H₂₄CuN₆O₄

Molecular weight

403.9 g/mol

Vial strength

100mg

Total content

100 mg

Price per mg

$0.65

Sold by

Core Peptides

Ships from

United States

Lab report

Not yet published

Storage and preparation

Freeze-dried peptide keeps best sealed, cold and dark. Once it has been dissolved, refrigerate it, avoid repeated warming and follow the stability limits in your study protocol.

Concentration arithmetic: one 100 mg vial dissolved in 2 mL gives 50 mg/mL, or 100 mg/mL in 1 mL. The Research Lab calculator in your dashboard handles any other volume.

Buyer questions

Supplied for laboratory research only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not a substitute for any prescription medicine. Nothing on this page is medical advice.