Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper complex

GHK-Cu in Canada

Also known as Copper peptide · Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper · GHK copper complex · Copper tripeptide-1

GHK-Cu is the copper complex of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a tripeptide that circulates naturally in human plasma and declines sharply with age. Isolated by Loren Pickart in 1973, it has one of the longest research histories of any peptide on this site: cell-culture and animal wound-healing work, small human studies of topical creams, and a body of gene-expression data that has never been tested in a controlled injectable trial. Canada Peptides carries research-grade GHK-Cu as a standalone vial and as the anchor of the GLOW and KLOW blends, priced and shipped in CAD for laboratory and research use only.

Quick facts

Class: Naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide
Structure: 3 amino acids · Gly-His-Lys complexed with Cu²⁺ · ~340 Da free peptide, ~400 Da as the copper complex
Half-life: Minutes in plasma for the free tripeptide; not formally characterised for the injectable route in humans
Route in research: Topical and intradermal in human studies; subcutaneous, intraperitoneal and topical in animal studies
Cadence in research: Twice daily topical in human cosmetic studies; daily or every-other-day injection in animal work
Storage: Lyophilised: refrigerated, dark. Reconstituted: refrigerated, used within weeks; blue colour is normal
Status in Canada

Pharmacology

The pharmacology has two threads that the literature tends to blur together: what the copper does and what the peptide does.

The copper thread is the better characterised. GHK binds Cu²⁺ through the histidine imidazole and the N-terminal amine, with a binding constant that allows it to take copper from and give copper to albumin. In tissue, that makes the complex a bioavailable copper source for lysyl oxidase, which cross-links collagen and elastin fibres; for copper–zinc superoxide dismutase, which clears superoxide; and for tyrosinase, which makes melanin. Fibroblast culture work from the late 1980s showed that the copper complex, and not the free tripeptide, increased collagen synthesis, which is the reason the copper form is the one studied.

The peptide thread is more recent and rests on gene-expression profiling. When GHK was screened against the Broad Institute's Connectivity Map, it appeared as one of the few compounds that reversed a gene signature associated with metastasis-prone colorectal cancer, and a 2012 study in Genome Medicine reported that it reversed an expression signature of emphysema-related lung destruction in cultured lung fibroblasts. Subsequent reanalysis by Pickart and colleagues described up- or down-regulation of roughly 4,000 human genes, with increases in DNA-repair, antioxidant and tissue-remodelling genes and decreases in inflammatory ones. These findings are real, but they are computational and in vitro; nobody has shown that the same expression shifts occur in a person after an injection.

In animal wound models, the reported downstream effects include increased collagen and glycosaminoglycan deposition, increased angiogenesis, recruitment of immune cells to the wound and reduced TNF-α and IL-6 in inflamed tissue.

Pharmacokinetically, free GHK is cleared from plasma in minutes and is vulnerable to carboxypeptidases; the copper complex is somewhat more stable. Formal pharmacokinetic studies of subcutaneous GHK-Cu in humans have not been published, so the half-life quoted for the injectable route is an inference from rodent data and from the general behaviour of small linear peptides, not a measured figure.

GHK-Cu FAQ

Is GHK-Cu for sale in Canada?

Yes. Research-grade GHK-Cu is available in Canada from Canada Peptides as a standalone lyophilised vial and as the anchor peptide of the GLOW and KLOW blends, priced and shipped in CAD. It is supplied strictly for laboratory and research use, not for human consumption.

What is GHK-Cu?

GHK-Cu is the copper complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a molecule that occurs naturally in human plasma and declines with age. It has been studied since 1973 in cell culture, animal wound models and small human trials of topical creams, mainly for collagen synthesis and wound repair.

What does the research on GHK-Cu actually show?

Consistent stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast culture, faster wound closure in several animal species, and improved skin density and elasticity in small human studies of topical creams. Gene-expression screening suggests it shifts thousands of genes toward a repair profile in vitro. There is no controlled human trial of injectable GHK-Cu.

What is the half-life of GHK-Cu?

Short. The free tripeptide is cleared from plasma in minutes and is vulnerable to peptidases; the copper complex is somewhat more stable. No formal pharmacokinetic study of subcutaneous GHK-Cu in humans has been published, so the injectable half-life is inferred rather than measured.

How was GHK-Cu dosed in studies?

Almost entirely topically: creams and gels applied once or twice daily for 8–12 weeks in human cosmetic and wound studies, and topical or intradermal application at the wound margin in animal models. There is no validated human dose for injection, and this page does not recommend one; the material sold here is for research use only.

What side effects does GHK-Cu research report?

Topical use has a benign record with uncommon irritation. Injectable use is not covered by any controlled study; anecdotal reports describe injection-site pain and burning, and theoretical concerns include systemic copper load and unwanted tissue growth. The FDA declined to permit it in compounded medicines in 2023 citing the absence of safety data.

Is GHK-Cu legal in Canada?

GHK-Cu is not a controlled substance in Canada. Topical copper tripeptide-1 is a permitted cosmetic ingredient, but injectable GHK-Cu has no Health Canada approval and no DIN. It may be sold for laboratory research, which is how it is sold here. It is not named on the WADA Prohibited List.

Why is reconstituted GHK-Cu blue?

The colour comes from the copper(II) ion bound to the peptide. A clear blue solution indicates the copper is complexed as expected; a green or colourless solution suggests copper loss or oxidation and is a reason to discard the vial.

GHK-Cu in Canada

Quick facts

GHK-Cu — for sale in Canada

What is GHK-Cu?

Evidence at a glance

Pharmacology

Identity and chemistry

Storage and stability

Research indications

Research protocols

Interactions and stacking in research

Reconstitution and handling

Side effects and safety signals

Regulatory status in Canada

Further reading

GHK-Cu FAQ

Research references