What does GHK-Cu do in research?

GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring tripeptide that binds copper, studied for skin and wound repair. As of 23 September 2026, its human evidence is two small topical trials: one found faster diabetic foot ulcer closure with a GHK-Cu gel, the other found no measurable difference after laser resurfacing. The rest is cell and animal work.

Primara Labs sells some of the compounds covered here. Every figure on this page links to its source and the date it was checked.

Updated 23 September 2026

What it is

GHK is a tripeptide (glycine, histidine, lysine) found in human plasma, saliva and urine, and it binds copper. In laboratory work it stimulates both the production and the breakdown of collagen and related skin matrix molecules, and adjusts the enzymes that remodel tissue. The evidence for these actions comes from cell and animal studies.

Human trials

In a randomised, evaluator-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of a GHK-Cu gel on diabetic foot ulcers, median ulcer closure was 98.5% with the gel against 60.8% with the inactive gel; the abstract does not state the trial's size or phase.

In 13 randomised patients after laser skin resurfacing, GHK-Cu skin care made no measurable difference to redness, wrinkles or blinded ratings, though patients rated their skin quality higher.

Animal and cell studies

In rats after knee ligament reconstruction, GHK-Cu reduced knee laxity at 6 weeks, but the difference had gone by 12 weeks. This was in rats.

In cell culture, GHK-Cu shortened the doubling time of normal and irradiated human skin fibroblasts and raised their early output of growth factors.

Safety data

The Research Desk found no published human adverse event data for GHK-Cu in its Europe PMC search (23 September 2026). The US FDA lists GHK-Cu for injectable routes on its compounding safety-risk page, noting limited human data; the human trials above were topical.

Topical, not injected

Both human trials applied GHK-Cu to the skin. No published trial has given it by injection, so nothing in the human evidence describes injected GHK-Cu.

Sources

Where every figure comes from

GHK-Cu mechanism source · checked 23 September 2026
Wound Repair Regen 1994 · checked 23 September 2026
Arch Facial Plast Surg 2006 · checked 23 September 2026
J Orthop Res 2015 · checked 23 September 2026
Europe PMC search, GHK-Cu · checked 23 September 2026

Last reviewed 23 September 2026