What is GHK (Copper-Free)?
The natural tripeptide Gly-His-Lys without copper bound; the copper complex GHK-Cu has its own page.
GHK (Copper-Free) in the library · Cosmetic & Skin Peptides · Human Trials · What are peptides?
0 registered trials · 0 indexed papers · 0 human / 4 animal studies
From the PeptideWhiz library entry. "As described" sections summarize claims made in the sources; they are not PeptideWhiz endorsements.
What it is
GHK is described as a tripeptide found in human plasma, saliva and urine that declines with age. It binds copper strongly; the copper complex is GHK-Cu. Cosmetics often list free GHK as tripeptide-1.
Mechanism (as described)
- Gene-expression studies suggest GHK influences many genes tied to tissue repair (Pickart et al., 2015; 2018).
Evidence (as described)
- Human data are mostly topical and cosmetic, and mostly for the copper complex (Miller et al., 2006).
Status
Cosmetic ingredient; not an approved drug.
More cited research
- Expression and Purification of Recombinant GHK Tripeptides Are Able to Protect against Acute Cardiotoxicity from Exposure to Waterborne-Copper in Zebrafish (2020, animal)
- Biomimetic Hydrogel Scaffolds with Copper Peptide-Functionalized RADA16 Nanofiber Improve Wound Healing in Diabetes (2022, animal)
- Effects of topical copper tripeptide complex on wound healing in an irradiated rat model (2013, animal)
- The tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ stimulates matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression by fibroblast cultures (2000, animal)
Conditions researched
- Acne
- Anti-aging & longevity
- Atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease & high blood pressure
- Bell's palsy
- Carpal tunnel
- Cellulite
- Chronic and systemic inflammation
- Chronic pain: fibromyalgia & CRPS
- Cognition, focus & brain performance
- Concussion, traumatic brain injury & stroke recovery
- Dementia, Alzheimer's & cognitive decline
- Dry and flaky skin
- Eczema
- Endometriosis
- Fat loss, obesity & body recomposition
- Fatty liver & elevated liver enzymes
- Female fertility
- Gum disease (periodontal) & oral health
- Gut: IBD (Crohn's, colitis), leaky gut, IBS & ulcers
- Heart repair: after heart attack, heart failure & enlarged heart
- Hemorrhoids and fissures
- High ferritin and iron overload
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Kidney protection (CKD, diabetic kidney, lupus kidney)
- Lipedema
- Lipomas
- Loose skin
- Lung health, asthma & COPD
- Lupus (SLE)
- Lyme disease & chronic infections
- Male fertility and sperm
- Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
- Mold illness (mycotoxin exposure)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscle gain, sarcopenia & building muscle after 40
- Neuropathy and CRPS
- Osteoarthritis, cartilage loss & avoiding joint replacement
- Parkinson's disease
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: safety notes
- Recurrent vaginal infections & vaginal atrophy
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Rosacea
- Skin, hair loss, wounds & mast-cell/histamine reactivity
- Swollen feet and ankles
- Tendon, ligament, muscle & joint injuries (incl. athletes)
- Thick blood and blood clots
- Varicose veins
Related compounds
- GHK-Cu (Copper peptide)
- BPC-157
- Glutathione
- ACTH (Corticotropin)
- Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)
- IGF-1 LR3
- Insulin (regular human)
- Endothelin-1
- L-Carnitine
- Calcitonin
FAQ
What is GHK (Copper-Free)?
The natural tripeptide Gly-His-Lys without copper bound; the copper complex GHK-Cu has its own page.
How many registered human trials study GHK (Copper-Free)?
The PeptideWhiz trial index lists 0 registered trials for GHK (Copper-Free).
How much published research exists on GHK (Copper-Free)?
By study type, PeptideWhiz counts 0 human and 4 animal studies on GHK (Copper-Free).
Which conditions is GHK (Copper-Free) researched for?
Acne, Anti-aging & longevity, Atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease & high blood pressure, Bell's palsy, Carpal tunnel, Cellulite, Chronic and systemic inflammation, Chronic pain: fibromyalgia & CRPS, Cognition, focus & brain performance, Concussion, traumatic brain injury & stroke recovery, Dementia, Alzheimer's & cognitive decline, Dry and flaky skin, Eczema, Endometriosis, Fat loss, obesity & body recomposition, Fatty liver & elevated liver enzymes, Female fertility, Gum disease (periodontal) & oral health, Gut: IBD (Crohn's, colitis), leaky gut, IBS & ulcers, Heart repair: after heart attack, heart failure & enlarged heart, Hemorrhoids and fissures, High ferritin and iron overload, Hyperparathyroidism, Kidney protection (CKD, diabetic kidney, lupus kidney), Lipedema, Lipomas, Loose skin, Lung health, asthma & COPD, Lupus (SLE), Lyme disease & chronic infections, Male fertility and sperm, Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea), Mold illness (mycotoxin exposure), Multiple sclerosis, Muscle gain, sarcopenia & building muscle after 40, Neuropathy and CRPS, Osteoarthritis, cartilage loss & avoiding joint replacement, Parkinson's disease, Pregnancy and breastfeeding: safety notes, Recurrent vaginal infections & vaginal atrophy, Rheumatoid arthritis, Rosacea, Skin, hair loss, wounds & mast-cell/histamine reactivity, Swollen feet and ankles, Tendon, ligament, muscle & joint injuries (incl. athletes), Thick blood and blood clots, Varicose veins.
Research and education only. Not medical advice. No dosing guidance. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov registry and PubMed via the PeptideWhiz index (204,289 studies).