GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu is a coordination complex of the human plasma tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine with copper(II), catalogued in DrugBank as prezatide copper. It is not a simple linear peptide — the copper ion is chelated by the imidazole ring of histidine and the peptide backbone nitrogens.

Cellaire classifies GHK-Cu as preclinical / cosmetic-topical evidence. A review by Pickart & Margolina (Int J Mol Sci) catalogs collagen-, elastin-, and glycosaminoglycan-stimulating activity across dermal, lung, bone, liver, and stomach models, plus modulation of roughly 31% of human genes in expression profiling. This evidence is largely cell-culture, animal, and cosmetic-topical rather than from registrational drug trials.

GHK-Cu is glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (a naturally occurring human plasma tripeptide) chelated 1:1 with copper(II). The DrugBank identifier is DB14683 and the commercial synonym is Copper Tripeptide-1.

The tripeptide sequence Gly-His-Lys binds copper through the imidazole nitrogen of histidine and the peptide backbone, producing a stable square-planar chelate. This metal-peptide geometry is what distinguishes GHK-Cu from the uncomplexed GHK peptide.

Injectable GHK-Cu is not FDA-approved for any indication. Topical GHK and GHK-Cu appear in registered cosmetic products; the injectable form is on the FDA Category 2 review list.

Reported preclinical activity spans fibroblast collagen synthesis, hair follicle stimulation, and anti-inflammatory signaling. Human clinical evidence is dominated by small dermatology and cosmetology studies.