GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of the naturally occurring tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (GHK), a short sequence first characterized in mammalian plasma. In its supplied form it is a copper-bound tripeptide of defined molecular composition, presented as a lyophilized powder at >=99% purity by HPLC. The high-affinity coordination of the copper ion by the histidine and terminal amino groups gives the molecule its characteristic blue coloration and its identity as a distinct copper-peptide research chemical, differentiating it from the copper-free GHK peptide. Each unit is manufactured and characterized as a Research Use Only (RUO) reference material intended solely for in-vitro and laboratory investigation.

Within companion-animal research, GHK-Cu is studied primarily in in-vitro and ex-vivo models of skin biology and extracellular-matrix remodeling. Investigators have used copper-tripeptide systems as tool compounds to explore fibroblast behavior, collagen and glycosaminoglycan turnover, and matrix-remodeling signaling pathways in cultured cell systems and tissue explants. In this context GHK-Cu is of research interest as a reference copper-peptide for probing how defined peptide-copper complexes interact with cellular components under controlled laboratory conditions.

GHK-Cu is additionally investigated for its role in cellular-aging and wound-biology research models, where it serves as a well-characterized copper-carrier for studies of gene-expression profiling, oxidative-stress response, and cellular senescence in vitro. These research applications are exploratory and mechanistic in nature. Pet & Peps Research supplies GHK-Cu strictly as a laboratory reference compound; it is not a drug, supplement, cosmetic, or veterinary product, and it is not intended for human or animal use of any kind.