Peptide Research Hub
Educational reference
Educational reference only. Nothing on this site is medical advice. Many compounds described here are not FDA-approved, lack adequate human evidence, and may be illegal in your jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed clinician.

Healing & Tissue Repair

GHK-Cu

Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper complex

Also known as: Copper peptide Copper tripeptide-1

Evidence: Moderate clinical Disclaimer: Standard OTC cosmetic ingredient

Mechanism & research context

Studied for collagen synthesis, anti-inflammatory effects, and modulation of skin gene expression in topical/cosmetic use.

Origin: Naturally occurring tripeptide-copper complex found in human plasma. Plasma levels decline with age.

Safety flags

0 flags

No curator-recorded safety flags for this entry. Absence of recorded flags is not evidence of safety. Many peptides lack adequate human data.

Research papers

17 records

Citation links route to PubMed, Europe PMC, and PMC. Presence of a study is not endorsement. Records are refreshed from PubMed on a regular cadence; rows marked “Live search link” will resolve to a current PubMed search until a full citation has been ingested.

Clinical trials

3 records
  • Live search Live search

    Live ClinicalTrials.gov search: GHK-Cu

    Condition: See live results

    Open on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
  • NCT05932732 PHASE4 COMPLETED

    A Phase IV Open-label Trial Assessing the Impact on Skin Quality, Hydration, and Barrier of Three (3) Hydrafacial Treatments in Adults of Fitzpatrick Skin Types I-VI

    Condition: Cutis Laxa Facialis; Xeroderma

    Sponsor: Austin Institute for Clinical Research

    Open on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
  • NCT07437586 PHASE2 RECRUITING

    A Phase 2, Randomized, Double-Blind, Vehicle-Controlled, Split-Wound Study of Topical GHK-Cu (Copper(II)-Peptide Complex) Gel to Accelerate Re-Epithelialization of Standardized Acute Skin Wounds in Healthy Adults

    Condition: Acute Standardized Cutaneous Wounds (Punch-biopsy Wounds)

    Sponsor: Hudson Biotech

    Open on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Doses reported in studies

0 records
This is not a dosing guide. Entries below are historical metadata transcribed verbatim from a cited clinical-trial protocol, published study, or FDA-approved label. They describe what was administered in a specific study population under medical supervision — they are not recommendations, not common-use guidance, and may not be safe or appropriate outside the cited context. Doses widely discussed in community/anecdotal sources are not shown here; see the safety policy for why.

No study-protocol dose records have been curated for GHK-Cu yet. Absence of records is not evidence of safety — many peptides lack adequate human-trial data in the first place.

Records here are populated from public sources only (ClinicalTrials.gov protocol summaries and FDA-approved labels) and must cite a verifiable source URL. They are not added from forum posts, vendor pages, anecdotal write-ups, or social media.

These entries describe what was studied. They do not tell you what to take, how to reconstitute anything, how to fill a capsule, how often to administer, or where to obtain a compound. If you are considering use of GHK-Cu, those decisions belong with a licensed clinician working from the full label or trial record — not from this summary.

Why this page does not list a dose for self-use

The "Doses reported in studies" section above (when populated) describes what was administered in a cited study or label, under medical supervision, in a specific population. It is not a dosing guide for self-use. Separately, we do not publish anecdotal or community-reported dose ranges, administration methods, vial concentrations, or capsule masses for GHK-Cu. Anecdotal figures for unapproved compounds are not harm-reduction data: they lack denominators for adverse events, cannot account for individual physiology or compound purity, and normalise unsupervised use. See the safety policy for the full reasoning.

If this compound has an FDA-approved label

If a label exists, the regulator-reviewed dosing and administration information is there — read it in the context of a prescriber's evaluation.

Questions worth bringing to a clinician

  • What is the evidence for this compound in someone with my history?
  • What are the realistic, regulator-reviewed alternatives?
  • What would you monitor, and what would make you stop?

If you have already taken a peptide and feel unwell: contact emergency services. In the United States, Poison Control is reachable 24/7 at 1-800-222-1222. Do not wait for a community thread.

Research peptides are not substitutes for medical care. If you are considering any peptide for health purposes, speak with a board-certified physician or endocrinologist first.