Research library / GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu research

4 verified publications on file. Each one was read back from PubMed before it was listed, and each states the experimental model it used.

2Preclinical
0Clinical
2Reviews
2026-08-29Last verified
What this page is: a citation list, not a claim. Every study on file for GHK-Cu is preclinical or a review of preclinical work. None of it describes an effect in people. We publish the model on every entry because that is the detail marketing copy drops first.

The GHK-Cu literature is built on fibroblast cultures and ex-vivo skin, and a large share of it is authored by researchers long associated with the compound. That is worth knowing when reading it - the same habit of checking who ran the test and where it was published is what makes someone good at reading a COA.

Regulatory status: GHK-Cu is not an FDA-approved drug; the copper tripeptide appears among bulk drug substances the FDA flags as possibly presenting significant safety risks (Category 2) for compounding, page content current as of 04/22/2026.

Preclinical studies

2
  1. Maquart FX, Pickart L, Laurent M, Gillery P, Monboisse JC, Borel JP

    Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+

    FEBS Lett. 1988;238(2):343-6. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(88)80509-x · PMID 3169264

    ModelFibroblast cultures

    The foundational GHK-Cu collagen paper. Note it studies the copper complex specifically.

  2. Jiang F, Wu Y, Liu Z, Hong M, Huang Y

    Synergy of GHK-Cu and hyaluronic acid on collagen IV upregulation via fibroblast and ex-vivo skin tests

    J Cosmet Dermatol. 2023;22(9):2598-604. doi:10.1111/jocd.15763 · PMID 37062921

    ModelHuman dermal fibroblasts (qRT-PCR) and an ex-vivo skin model

    Cosmetic-science journal; studies GHK-Cu combined with hyaluronic acid rather than alone.

Review studies

2
  1. Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A

    GHK peptide as a natural modulator of multiple cellular pathways in skin regeneration

    Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:648108. doi:10.1155/2015/648108 · PMID 26236730

    ModelReview of cellular-pathway and skin-regeneration literature

  2. Pickart L, Margolina A

    Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data

    Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(7):1987. doi:10.3390/ijms19071987 · PMID 29986520

    ModelReview of gene-expression data

Looking at this for yourself? These are laboratory studies. Whether any compound is right for a person is a medical question we cannot answer — talk to a licensed clinician. Everything here is for research use only, and no health, dosing, or usage claim is made anywhere on this page.
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Citations are transcribed from the publisher record on PubMed and re-checked when a compound page is updated. Found an error or a study we should add? Tell us — corrections are published, not quietly patched.