
GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper tripeptide studied extensively across skin, connective tissue and repair research. Pre-loaded into a dial-dose pen for clean, repeatable dispensing.
| Purity | ≥99% (LC-MS verified) |
| Form | Lyophilized powder, preservative free |
| Storage | Cool and dry; refrigerate after reconstitution |
| Batch | COA available on request |
GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper tripeptide studied extensively across skin, connective tissue and repair research. Pre-loaded into a dial-dose pen for clean, repeatable dispensing.
GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide — glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine complexed with copper(II). It is present in human plasma, where its concentration declines markedly with age, a fact that prompted much of the research interest in it.
The copper ion is integral rather than incidental: the peptide's affinity for copper(II) is what allows it to act as a carrier, and the complex behaves differently from the peptide alone. The characteristic blue colour of a reconstituted solution comes from the copper complex.
Supplied for laboratory research use only. Not for human consumption.
GHK binds copper(II) with high affinity and can transfer it between binding sites. Copper is a required cofactor for enzymes including lysyl oxidase, which cross-links collagen and elastin, so copper delivery is the mechanism most often invoked in connective-tissue findings.
Some of the most cited work is transcriptomic, reporting that GHK-Cu shifts expression across a broad set of genes in cultured cells — including those associated with extracellular matrix remodelling and antioxidant response.
In vitro and animal work has examined collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis in dermal fibroblast culture, which is the basis for its widespread use as a cosmetic ingredient.
A further strand examines modulation of inflammatory signalling and reactive oxygen species, studied both in skin models and in other tissue types.
The literature is predominantly in vitro and animal-model based. GHK-Cu is widely used as a cosmetic ingredient but is not an approved drug.
Concentration is set by the volume of diluent added. For a 50mg vial, 5mL of bacteriostatic water yields 10mg/mL. Calculate the working concentration your protocol requires rather than following a generic figure.
| State | Temperature | Practical shelf life |
|---|---|---|
| Lyophilized, sealed | −20 °C | 24+ months |
| Lyophilized, sealed | 2–8 °C | ~12 months |
| Lyophilized, sealed | Room temperature | Weeks — transit only |
| Reconstituted, bacteriostatic water | 2–8 °C | ~3–4 weeks |
| Reconstituted, sterile water | 2–8 °C | Same session |
Lyophilized peptide is stable enough to survive shipping at ambient temperature, which is why cold-chain courier service is not required for transit. Long-term storage is a different matter — material intended to be held for months belongs in a freezer.
Protect from light, and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Each cycle causes measurable degradation, so dividing a reconstituted stock into single-use aliquots before freezing is preferable to thawing and refreezing one vial repeatedly.
Every lot is tested by an independent laboratory using two orthogonal methods. HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) establishes purity as a percentage of total peptide content, separating the target compound from truncated sequences and synthesis by-products. LC-MS (liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry) confirms molecular identity by mass.
Both matter. Purity alone is insufficient — a 99% pure sample of the wrong compound is still the wrong compound. Together the two tests establish identity and quality, which is why GHK-Cu is released only after both pass.
The certificate of analysis references the lot number printed on your vial label. Request the COA for your lot at sales@pepsdepot.com.
Peer-reviewed studies indexed in PubMed. Each links to the abstract and, where a free copy exists, to the full text. We link primary sources rather than summarising them second-hand.
Compounds studied alongside this one, or acting through related pathways.
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