GHK-Cu (Copper) Peptide
GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper-binding peptide composed of 3 amino acids, i.e. glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine . -Cu refers to the chemical addition of copper. GHK-Cu (Copper) is a small tripeptide found in plasma and reportedly releases at the time of injury. The concentration of GHK-Cu declines with age. At 20 years, the average concentration of GHK-Cu of 200 ng/mL declines to 80 ng/mL by 60 years
Studies have suggested when the plasma GHK peptide is added to the cell culture in nanomolar amounts; the peptide has the potential to induce a wide range of responses from growth stimulation to toxic cell differentiation. During the isolation of the peptide, researchers suggested that it exhibited potential chelating properties and might co-isolate with almost the same amount of copper ions and a fifth of the amount of iron found in the cells. When the peptide was incubated in the isolated cells as a bound complex with copper and iron molecules, maximal potential was reported.