GHK-Cu

GHK is an endogenous tripeptide (Gly-His-Lys) first isolated from human plasma in 1973 by Loren Pickart. In serum it complexes with Cu²⁺ to form GHK-Cu, the form most actively studied in research literature. Plasma concentrations of GHK decline measurably with age — an observation that has driven sustained interest in copper-tripeptide signaling in connective tissue biology.

GHK-Cu binds copper ions with very high affinity (log K ≈ 16.4). In vitro, the copper complex modulates expression of genes involved in extracellular matrix remodeling — particularly collagen types I and III, decorin, and elastin — and shifts the MMP/TIMP balance toward homeostatic ECM turnover. Activation of integrin and TGF-β signaling axes has been reported in fibroblast culture, with downstream upregulation of fibroblast proliferation and migration. Antioxidant activity has also been reported, with the copper center cycling between Cu(II) and Cu(I) under physiological conditions.

Used in fibroblast cell-culture studies of ECM remodeling, scratch-wound migration assays, follicular dermal papilla cell models, and ex vivo skin equivalent systems. Frequently referenced in connective tissue, dermatology, and tissue-engineering research literature.

Every batch ships with a third-party Certificate of Analysis documenting identity, lot-specific HPLC purity, mass spectrometry confirmation, and storage conditions. The COA is downloadable from the buyer's account dashboard and QR-linked on the vial label. Purity claims are per lot, not per product — see the FAQ for the framing.

Sold under one of two B2B buyer categories: research institutions for in vitro work under the RUO designation, or licensed 503A compounding pharmacies as an API for patient-specific compounded preparations under USP <797> or <795>. Accounts are manually reviewed; pending accounts cannot place orders or view pricing.

The full regulatory framing, including what we are not (we are not a 503B outsourcing facility and do not compound finished drugs), is in the disclaimer.