Description
Copper tripeptide, also known as [N2-(N-Glycyl-L-histidyl)-L-lysinato(2-)]copper or GHK-Cu, is a naturally occurring tripeptide. It was first isolated from human plasma but can be found in saliva and urine. During wound healing, it may be freed from existing extracellular proteins via proteolysis. Studies have shown that GHK-Cu has a maximal biological effect at 10
-9 mol/L and Its concentration in the body decreases with age[1].
Uses
Copper tripeptide (GHK-Cu) can be used as a skin antiaging agent. It could lead to the extracellular matrix accumulation increases in the rat wound model. Copper Peptide preparations were able to promote wound healing rates in diabetic ulcers and patients undergoing Mohs surgery. It could induce angiogenesis in rabbit models at 10?12 mol/L by acting as a chemoattractant for capillary cells. It may also improve the autocrine growth factor milieu in keloid fibroblasts[1-2]. It can also be doped into It can also be doped into binary binary PBDB-T: ITIC to tune the crystallinity and phase separation of the active layer, improving the performance of polymer solar cells[3].
Mechanism of action
At this concentration (10
-9 mol/L), GHK-Cu has been shown to increase messenger RNA production for collagen, elastin, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans in fibroblasts. It has been demonstrated that GHK-Cu stimulates cultured normal fibroblasts to synthesize collagen and
induces a dose-dependent increase in the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans. It could stimulate the regeneration of skin, nervous tissue, bones, lungs, and liver, protect the liver from oxidative damage, restore the activity of irradiated fibroblasts, reduce inflammation, and increase levels of antioxidant enzymes[1].
References
[1] Jeffrey D, et al. Effects of Copper Tripeptide on the Growth
and Expression of Growth Factors by Normal
and Irradiated Fibroblasts. Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, 2005; 7.
[2] Huang J, et al. Efficient Ternary Polymer Solar Cells with Tunable Crystallinity and Phase Separation of Active Layers via Incorporating GHK-Cu. ACS Applied Materials Interfaces, 2021; 13: 46927–46937.
[3] Pickart L, et al.Modulation of Gene Expression in Human Breast Cancer MCF7 and Prostate Cancer PC3 Cells by the Human Copper-Binding Peptide GHK-Cu, 2021; 5.