Written in partnership with John RobertGHK-Cu peptide has been suggested to enhance skin cell regeneration, more rapidly induce wound healing, and reduce inflammation. Researchers may be interested in GHK-Cu’s potential; our group has compiled this summary of GHK-Cu’s primary hypothesized properties and action mechanisms to aid researchers.
GHK-Cu Peptide: What is it?
A naturally occurring tri-peptide, GHK-Cu, consists of lysine, histidine, and glycine. The peptide GHK becomes GHK-Cu when it connects with copper in the organism, thanks to its strong Cu2+ affinity. Dr. Loren Pickart discovered GHK-Cu in the 1970s. He noted that aged liver tissue appeared to reverse the decline of protein production when he added plasma from younger tissues. Afterward, Dr. Pickart suggested that GHK levels rise, peak, and fall sharply over time. Saliva, blood, and urine are believed to be primary reservoirs for GHK-Cu, and exposing tissues to this compound may have several potential biological impacts, such as:
- Activation of antioxidant genes
- Lowering levels of interleukin-6, an inflammatory cytokine
- Greater buildup of proteins
- Enhanced dermal collagen formation
Research in animal models has indicated that GHK-Cu may protect diabetic rats from kidney-damaging fibrosis by increasing decorin, an anti-inflammatory proteoglycan. Only authorized researchers may purchase synthetic GHK-Cu for in vitro experiments; it is supplied solely as a reference material.
GHK-Cu Peptide Potential
Here, we review the many hypothesized impacts of GHK-Cu on physiological function and cell regeneration since its discovery.
GHK-Cu Peptide and Skin Cells
Maquart et al. speculated in the early 1980s that GHK is released by the organism during injury, which led the team to speculate further that it may signal the epidermal barrier to begin healing processes. Much of the following study has focused on the cell regeneration potential of GHK-Cu as it was suggested that GHK might be an activator of tissue remodeling. Afterward, Dr. Pickart speculated in a review that GHK-Cu may potentially:
- Reduce the length and depth of wrinkling along the skin surface
- Enhance the density and thickness of the stratum corneum (outer layer of the skin barrier)
- Slow the process of cell aging and death
- Defend skin cells against harmful ultraviolet light.
- Reduce inflammation and free radical damage
- Restore protective skin barrier proteins
- Induce healing following tissue injury
Research indicates that among GHK-Cu’s possible anti-inflammatory impacts is its suppressive potential on free radicals, thromboxane production, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, transforming growth factor beta-1, and protein glycation. Conversely, it has been hypothesized to improve fibroblast regeneration after X-ray, enhance superoxide dismutase, and block UV damage to skin keratinocytes. Research into GHK’s potential to aid tissue recovery after injury has been robust due to its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action, and possible capacity to modulate post-injury oxidative damage.
GHK-Cu Peptide and Wounds
Multiple studies have postulated that GHK-Cu may potentially speed up the healing process of wounds in both skin cells and generalized tissue:
Researchers Mulder et al. suggested that animal models of diabetes with ulcers appeared to have healed faster and had fewer infections after receiving GHK-Cu. Investigations purport that GHK-Cu may help the organism repair by promoting the first surge of growth factors and inflammatory mediators when nerves regenerate.
Findings imply that GHK-Cu may potentially reduce TNF-alpha-dependent IL-6 release in fibroblasts, making it an alternative to the more problematic corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory substances in the course of experimental research.
The researchers Wang et al. suggested that GHK-Cu liposomes may promote cell proliferation and angiogenesis, which in turn may have sped up the healing process of scald wounds in mice.
GHK-Cu has been theorized to lessen the appearance of skin patches, lesions, and hyperpigmentation while simultaneously speeding up the healing process of skin stem cells. In addition to its alleged impacts on skin cells, hair follicles, gastrointestinal and intestinal linings, and bony tissue regeneration, GHK-Cu is believed to have a potential influence on gene expression that is important for the function of the neurological system and may slow down the pace of cognitive decline. These hypotheses are based on in vitro experimentation in cell cultures from animal research models, typically mice.
GHK-Cu Peptide and Aging
Several one- to three-month placebo-controlled experimental studies have looked at the possible impact of GHK-Cu on skin. The following is an overview of GHK-Cu in three specific investigations:
As suggested by a 1998 study by Abdulghani et al., GHK-Cu appeared to have had a “significant effect” on collagen formation after one month of routine exposure. Research has indicated that it may aid skin photodamage and reduce inflammation better than lotions containing retinoic acid and vitamin C.
Leyden et al. hypothesized in 2002 that GHK-Cu for 12 weeks may have improved “skin laxity, appearance, fine lines and the depth of wrinkles and enhanced skin density and thickness” in the animal models.
According to 2005 research by Finkley et al., GHK-Cu twice daily for 12 weeks seemed to have mitigated the effects of advanced photodamage. Properties were theorized to include thicker, more dense skin, reduced wrinkle depth, and increased skin laxity. Experimental studies have purported that GHK-Cu exposure for 4-12 weeks may have enhanced skin barrier functionality, texture, and reduced damage.
References
[i] 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 Jul 7;19(7):1987. doi: 10.3390/ijms19071987. PMID: 29986520; PMCID: PMC6073405.
[ii] Maquart, F. X., Pickart, L., Laurent, M., Gillery, P., Monboisse, J. C., & Borel, J. P. (1988). Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide‐copper complex glycyl‐L‐histidyl‐L‐lysine‐ Cu2+. FEBS letters, 238(2), 343-346. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(88)80509-x
[iii] Siméon, A., Wegrowski, Y., Bontemps, Y., & Maquart, F. X. (2000). Expression of glycosaminoglycans and small proteoglycans in wounds: modulation by the tripeptide–copper complex glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine-Cu2+. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 115(6), 962-968.
[iv] Pickart, L., Vasquez-Soltero, J. M., & Margolina, A. (2015). GHK peptide as a natural modulator of multiple cellular pathways in skin regeneration. BioMed Research International, 648108. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/648108
[v] Ahmed, M. R., Basha, S. H., Gopinath, D., Muthusamy, R., & Jayakumar, R. (2005). Initial upregulation of growth factors and inflammatory mediators during nerve regeneration in the presence of cell adhesive peptide‐incorporated collagen tubes. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 10(1), 17-30.
[vi] A. Gruchlik, M. Jurzak, E. W. A. Chodurek, and Z. Dzierzewicz, “Effect of Gly-Gly-His, Gly-His-Lys and their copper complexes on TNF-α-dependent IL-6 secretion in normal human dermal fibroblasts,” Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica, vol. 69, no. 6, pp. 1303– 1306, 2012.
[vii] Abdulghani, A. A., Sherr, A., Shirin, S., Solodkina, G., Tapia, E. M., Wolf, B., & Gottlieb, A. B. (1998). Effects of topical creams containing vitamin C, a copper-binding peptide cream and melatonin compared with tretinoin on the ultrastructure of normal skin-A pilot clinical, histologic, and ultrastructural study. Disease Management and Clinical Outcomes, 4(1), 136-141.
[viii] Pickart, L., Vasquez-Soltero, J. M., & Margolina, A. (2017). The effect of the human peptide GHK on gene expression relevant to nervous system function and cognitive decline. Brain Sciences, 7(2), 20.
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