Description
GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (GHK) — a small, elegant molecule that occurs naturally in the body and carries copper in a stable, well-regulated form. First identified in human plasma in the 1970s, it has become one of the most widely studied peptides in skin-biology and extracellular-matrix research, valued for its rich, reproducible activity in cell and tissue models.
GHK-Cu Specifications
- Classification: Copper(II)-binding tripeptide complex (a naturally occurring matrikine)
- Sequence: Gly-His-Lys (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine) · Cu2+
- Molecular formula: C14H22CuN6O4
- Molecular weight: ~401.9 g/mol
- CAS number: 89030-95-5
- Appearance: Lyophilized blue to blue-violet powder (the color reflects the copper complex)
- Solubility: Readily soluble in water; saline is typically avoided so chloride does not displace the copper
- Storage: Store lyophilized at -20 °C, protected from light
Research focus
GHK-Cu is studied across skin and extracellular-matrix biology, collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis, angiogenesis models, antioxidant and tissue-remodeling signaling, and copper-transport biochemistry.
Good to know
- First isolated from human plasma by biochemist Loren Pickart in 1973, during research into why young plasma kept cells behaving “younger.”
- Occurs naturally in plasma, saliva, and urine, and is classified as a matrikine — a signaling fragment derived from the extracellular matrix.
- Its high affinity for copper(II) lets it carry the metal in a modulated, less-reactive form — and gives the complex its signature blue color.
For laboratory reconstitution, pair with our bacteriostatic water.
