GHK-Cu
Stocked in 50mg, 100mg at MontanaPep in Great Falls, Montana. Sold for laboratory research use only.
| Size | Catalog no. | Price per vial |
|---|---|---|
| 50mg | CU50 | $20 |
| 100mg | CU100 | $25 |
Classification
Endogenous copper-binding tripeptide with an extensive topical research record
Structure and chemistry
GHK is the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, about 340 daltons on its own. It binds copper(II) with high affinity, primarily at the histidine residue, forming the complex GHK-Cu at roughly 404 daltons. The copper is not an additive — it is central to how the molecule is understood to work, and GHK and GHK-Cu should be treated as different materials on a specification sheet.
What the published research shows
GHK-Cu has one of the longer and broader research records of any peptide in this catalog, spanning five decades: wound healing, skin remodeling, hair follicle biology, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling, and genome-wide gene-expression work. An important distinction runs through it, though. The great majority of the human evidence concerns topical and cosmetic use, where it has a long record of safe application.
Mechanism of action
GHK is naturally present in human plasma, saliva and urine, and is also carried within collagen molecules and released when tissue is injured — so it functions as an endogenous damage signal. Plasma levels fall with age, from roughly 200 ng/mL at age 20 to about 80 ng/mL by 60. Reported actions include stimulating synthesis of collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans along with decorin, dermatan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate; modulating matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors, so it drives both synthesis and controlled breakdown of collagen rather than accumulation alone; supporting angiogenesis and nerve outgrowth; and quenching reactive carbonyl species such as acrolein and 4-hydroxynonenal. Genome-wide analysis using the Broad Institute Connectivity Map has been reported to show GHK altering expression of several thousand human genes.
Development history
GHK-Cu came from a question about young blood. In the early 1970s the biochemist Loren Pickart observed that liver cells from older donors, cultured in serum from younger donors, began producing proteins at rates characteristic of younger tissue. He set out to isolate whatever was responsible, and in 1973 identified the active factor in the plasma albumin fraction as a small copper-binding tripeptide.
Current regulatory status
GHK-Cu is not an approved drug. It is widely and lawfully used as a cosmetic ingredient in skin and hair products, which is a different regulatory category from a medicine. GHK-Cu (injectable routes) was nominated to FDA’s bulk drug substances list for pharmacy compounding; the nomination was withdrawn. One further point of context: Loren Pickart authored much of the foundational and review literature and also founded a copper-peptide skincare company, a disclosure relevant when weighing those reviews.
Analytical testing
Specify which material you have: GHK free tripeptide and the GHK-Cu copper complex differ in mass by roughly 64 daltons and are not interchangeable. A meaningful COA should confirm the copper is actually complexed rather than present as a separate salt, and should report copper content, since an under- or over-copper preparation is a different material from the one in the literature. The complex has a characteristic blue colour; a preparation that is not blue warrants a question.
Ordering from Great Falls
MontanaPep, also known as Montana Peptides, is an independently owned supplier based at 715 13th Ave S, Great Falls, Montana. Local pickup is available by arrangement, and we ship to research addresses across Montana including Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Butte, Kalispell and Havre. Call (406) 799-0812 or email customerservice@montanapep.com.