What is GHK-Cu and what is it studied for?

GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine. It is widely used in preclinical research as a reference probe for fibroblast signaling, collagen-expression regulation, and extracellular-matrix remodeling. The copper-bound form is the standard research reagent for these pathways. It is supplied strictly for laboratory research and is not approved for direct human administration.

How is GHK-Cu purity verified?

Every batch ships with an independent ISO/IEC 17025 Certificate of Analysis covering HPLC purity at 214 nm, mass-spec identity confirmation, endotoxin by LAL, and residual solvent against ICH Q3C limits. The COA also reports the copper content against the theoretical loading for the complex. The batch number printed on the vial label resolves against the public COA at /verify so a vial can be cross-checked against the lab record in one step.

How should GHK-Cu vials be stored?

Lyophilized GHK-Cu is best stored sealed inside its moisture-barrier pouch, refrigerated at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius and protected from light. For longer horizons (months and beyond) a frost-free minus 20 degrees Celsius freezer is acceptable as long as the vial stays sealed and is allowed to equilibrate to room temperature before opening so condensation does not deposit on the lyophilized cake.

Is GHK-Cu legal to import for research?

GHK-Cu is sold strictly for laboratory research. Import rules vary by jurisdiction and change often — the buyer is the importer of record and is responsible for confirming that the destination permits the imported research-use peptide. We cancel and refund any order bound for a destination that has changed status before dispatch.

How does GHK-Cu differ from the unbound GHK tripeptide?

GHK is the native, unbound tripeptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine). GHK-Cu is the same tripeptide coordinated to Cu(II) through the histidine imidazole — the copper complex is the standard research reagent because it matches the active conformation in vivo. Researchers choose GHK-Cu over the unbound form specifically because the copper-loaded complex is the form reported in the connective-tissue literature.

GHK-Cu deep dive · research transcript

GHK-Cu (copper(II)-binding tripeptide)

GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of the naturally occurring tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine. Studied in dermal and connective-tissue research models as a reference probe of fibroblast signaling, collagen I / III expression, and extracellular-matrix remodeling, it appears in the literature as the canonical peptide-copper complex rather than a systemic agent.

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Batch LAB-2636 resolves against the public Certificate of Analysis.

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How to read this Certificate of Analysis

Five fields, plain English.

Batch ID
The lookup key — printed on the vial label and on the public certificate. Type it into the input above to swap to BPC-157, NAD+, Semaglutide, or any other assay in this run.
Third-party lab
Apex Veritas Analytical — ISO/IEC 17025-accredited, not an in-house assay. The lab name on the certificate is the auditing point of record; the printed batch resolves against the lab report, not a marketing claim about purity.
Purity %
Reported from HPLC at 214 nm — the standard identity + purity assay for the copper-tripeptide complex. The GHK-Cu CoA also reports a separate copper-content assay read against the theoretical loading for the complex (one Cu(II) per tripeptide), so the printed percentage reflects both the dominant peptide peak area and the actual metal loading on the recovered material.
Test date
The calendar date the assay was run — distinct from the manufacturing date. A recent test date means the certificate reflects the vial as it sits on the shelf today, not a snapshot from months ago.
Residual solvent
Trace synthesis solvent carried through the purification step, reported in parts-per-million against the ICH Q3C safety threshold. A clean residual-solvent panel reads as a left-over signature of how thoroughly the crude tripeptide was purified before the Cu(II) coordination step.

How this batch was made

Three steps from synthesis to a signed certificate.

Tripeptide synthesis

Solid-phase peptide synthesis assembles the three-amino-acid sequence Gly-His-Lys on a resin support using a repeated deprotection / coupling cycle, then a final cleavage yields the crude linear tripeptide ready for copper coordination.

Cu(II) coordination

The crude tripeptide is chelated to Cu(II) under controlled pH — the copper binds through the imidazole nitrogen of histidine and the alpha-amino nitrogen of glycine, with the lysine side chain stabilizing the resulting binding pocket and locking the active conformation in place.

HPLC + ESI-MS

Reverse-phase HPLC at 214 nm is the identity + purity assay — the dominant tripeptide-copper peak reads as the visual proof that the right complex is present, and a separate copper-content assay confirms the metal loading against the theoretical value. Identity is then confirmed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, with the observed molecular-ion mass read against the theoretical monoisotopic mass for the GHK-Cu complex (C14H24CuN6O4).

Other research lineages in this catalog.

Recovery peer · NAD+

NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)

The oxidized hydride-carrying cofactor central to mitochondrial electron transport and sirtuin / PARP signaling — paired with GHK-Cu to contrast the connective-tissue / ECM-remodeling lineage with the redox-cofactor longevity lineage.

Read the NAD+ research hub

Connective-tissue peer · BPC-157

BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound-157)

Synthetic 15-amino-acid fragment of an endogenous body-protection sequence — researched alongside GHK-Cu in connective-tissue recovery and angiogenic growth-factor studies.

Read the BPC-157 research hub

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