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GHK-CU Research Standard
GHK-Cu (CAS 89030-95-5) is the copper(II) complex of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, an endogenous tripeptide present in human plasma. Supplied as a 50 mg lyophilized powder in a 3 mL vial, it is a reference standard for extracellular matrix biology and copper coordination chemistry. Unlike most peptides in this catalogue its activity is inseparable from a metal ion — the copper is not a counter-ion, it is part of the active species.
Mechanism of Action & Research Context
GHK-Cu is an endogenous copper(II)-binding tripeptide. It stimulates collagen synthesis in cultured fibroblasts between 10−12 and 10−9 M,[1] and raises MMP-2 alongside TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 — bidirectional matrix turnover rather than one-way collagen accumulation. Copper ions alone reproduced the MMP-2 effect while GHK alone did not.[2] Bound Cu(II) is redox-attenuated relative to free copper.[4]
Defined coordination chemistry. GHK binds Cu(II) and forms ternary complexes with other physiological ligands such as urocanic acid, characterised by potentiometry, circular dichroism and EPR.[3]
Redox silencing rather than scavenging. Copper held by GHK shows reduced redox activity compared with free copper, and in a CNS cell model this prevented copper- and zinc-driven protein aggregation and cell death. The relevant chemistry is sequestration, not radical scavenging — a distinction the marketing literature routinely blurs.[4]
Attribution is not straightforward. In the MMP-2 experiment, copper ions alone reproduced the effect while GHK alone did not. Activity in that assay cannot be credited to the peptide moiety by itself, which is why a copper-only control arm belongs in the design.[2]
Research Applications
Primary fields of in vitro laboratory investigation include:
Dermal fibroblast collagen synthesis assays across the picomolar-to-nanomolar range.[1]
MMP and TIMP quantification in conditioned media, with copper-only and peptide-only arms.[2]
Copper speciation studies by potentiometry, CD and EPR.[3]
Metal-induced aggregation and cytotoxicity models.[4]
Analytical Documentation
Purity, identity and composition vary by manufacturing lot. Kimera Chems does not publish a single fixed purity figure for this item; refer to the batch-specific Certificate of Analysis (COA) issued for the lot received, which reflects third-party analytical testing for that lot.
References
- Maquart FX, Pickart L, Laurent M, et al. Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+. FEBS Lett. 1988;238(2):343–346. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(88)80509-x
- Siméon A, Emonard H, Hornebeck W, Maquart FX. The tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ stimulates matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression by fibroblast cultures. Life Sci. 2000;67(18):2257–2265. doi:10.1016/s0024-3205(00)00803-1
- Bossak-Ahmad K, Wiśniewska MD, Bal W, Drew SC, Frączyk T. Ternary Cu(II) complex with GHK peptide and urocanic acid as a potential physiologically functional copper chelate. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(17):6190. doi:10.3390/ijms21176190
- Min JH, Sarlus H, Harris RA. Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine prevents copper- and zinc-induced protein aggregation and central nervous system cell death in vitro. Metallomics. 2024;16(5):mfae019. doi:10.1093/mtomcs/mfae019
Storage & Handling
Store at controlled room temperature, sealed and protected from light.
Storage guidance is a house recommendation. Analytical documentation is per-lot release testing.
