GHK-Cu is one of those things that kept coming up in my reading, and I kept setting it aside. I am approaching 50, and I have gotten pretty good at filtering out anything that promises too much. But this one kept appearing in serious academic contexts, and the research history behind it is old enough that it was hard to keep ignoring. So I finally sat down and read through what is actually out there.

GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring tripeptide — Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine — that binds to copper(II). It was first identified in human blood plasma in 1973 by researcher Loren Pickart, and it has since attracted a substantial body of published literature across multiple biological contexts. The research has examined GHK-Cu in studies related to wound and tissue biology, hair follicle investigations, and various aspects of skin science. What seems to draw continued academic interest is the tripeptide interaction with copper, a trace element involved in numerous enzymatic processes across biological systems. The published literature spans several decades and multiple research institutions, and investigators continue to examine it across different models and contexts.

I found this video a solid primer on what the research is actually examining. It covers what GHK-Cu is, how it was originally identified, and what directions the science has taken since Pickart early work. Good starting point if you want to understand what the literature is exploring. Watch the full video here: