Jump to content
Telehealth GHK-Cu

A capsule-by-capsule reading of the GHK-Cu copper-peptide literature, with the hair-follicle and collagen studies sorted into clean pills and the honest evidence gaps tagged in plain sight.

Sources · The full study list

The GHK-Cu citations and references behind each finding

Each number in the text points to a study below. You’ll find a medical record page or full paper when one is available.

Return to the findingsReturn to the hair tests

Match the number in the text to the study below

Come here when you want to read the study behind a claim. A mark such as [1] or [2] matches the numbered paper below. When a medical record page or full paper is open to the public, you’ll get a link that takes you there.

The list begins with Maquart’s 1988 collagen work and Pickart’s skin and wound reviews. Hair sources include the 45-patient test of GHK joined with another part that may act on skin. You’ll also find mouse work and a test of AHK-Cu, a related copper peptide. Later sources cover the 2024 mouse scalp test and the 2026 hair review. Other papers look at genes, copper crossing human skin, and wound dressings. Some tested the related peptide or a mixed treatment, not pure GHK-Cu. You’ll see the papers’ exact names below.

Cited sources

  1. Maquart FX, Pickart L, Laurent M, Gillery P, Monboisse JC, Borel JP. Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+. FEBS Lett. 1988;238(2):343-346. ↗
  2. Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(7):1987. ↗
  3. Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. GHK Peptide as a Natural Modulator of Multiple Cellular Pathways in Skin Regeneration. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:648108. ↗
  4. Lee WJ, Sim HB, Jang YH, Lee SJ, Kim DW, Yim SH. Efficacy of a Complex of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid and Glycyl-Histidyl-Lysine Peptide on Hair Growth. Ann Dermatol. 2016;28(4):438-443. ↗
  5. Hostynek JJ, Dreher F, Maibach HI. Human skin penetration of a copper tripeptide in vitro as a function of skin layer. Inflamm Res. 2011;60(1):79-86. ↗
  6. Pickart L. The human tri-peptide GHK and tissue remodeling. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed. 2008;19(8):969-988. ↗
  7. Trachy RE, Fors TD, Pickart L, Uno H. The hair follicle-stimulating properties of peptide copper complexes. Results in C3H mice. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1991;642:468-469. ↗
  8. Pyo HK, Yoo HG, Won CH, Lee SH, Kang YJ, Eun HC, Cho KH, Kim KH. The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro. Arch Pharm Res. 2007;30(7):834-839. (Tested AHK-Cu, the alanyl analog of GHK-Cu — cited as analog context only.) ↗
  9. Arul V, Kartha R, Jayakumar R. Biotinylated GHK peptide incorporated collagenous matrix: A novel biomaterial for dermal wound healing in rats. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater. 2005;73(2):383-391. ↗
  10. Lee S, Lee SM, Lee SH, Choi WK, Park SJ, Kim DY, et al. In situ photo-crosslinkable hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel embedded with GHK peptide nanofibers for bioactive wound healing. Acta Biomater. 2023;172:159-174. ↗
  11. Jose S, Hughbanks ML, Binder BYK, Ingavle GC, Leach JK. Enhanced trophic factor secretion by mesenchymal stem/stromal cells with Glycine-Histidine-Lysine (GHK)-modified alginate hydrogels. Acta Biomater. 2014;10(5):1955-1964. ↗
  12. Molavi AM, Sadeghi-Avalshahr A, Nokhasteh S, Naderi-Meshkin H. Enhanced biological properties of collagen/chitosan-coated poly(epsilon-caprolactone) scaffold by surface modification with GHK-Cu peptide and 58S bioglass. Prog Biomater. 2020;9(1-2):71-82. ↗
  13. Mortazavi SM, Mohammadi Vadoud SA, Moghimi HR. Topically applied GHK as an anti-wrinkle peptide: Advantages, problems and prospective. BioImpacts. 2025;15:30071. ↗
  14. Liu T, Liu Y, Zhao X, Zhang L, Wang W, Bai D, Liao Y, Wang Z, Wang M, Zhang J. Thermodynamically stable ionic liquid microemulsions pioneer pathways for topical delivery and peptide application. Bioact Mater. 2024;34:1-15. ↗
  15. Fan C, Chen Y, Huang Q, et al. Overview of Short Peptides for Hair Loss. Biomedicines. 2026;14(4):864. ↗
  16. Endo T, Miyagi M, Ujiie A. Simultaneous determination of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine and its metabolite, L-histidyl-L-lysine, in rat plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with post-column derivatization. Journal of Chromatography B: Biomedical Sciences and Applications. 1997;692(1):37-42. ↗
  17. Hong M, Gui Y, Xu J, Zhao X, Jiang C, Zhao J, Xin X, Liu D, Tang X, Tang R, An F. Palmitoyl copper peptide and acetyl tyrosine complex enhances melanin production in both A375 and B16 cell lines. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2025. ↗
  18. Miller TR, Wagner JD, Baack BR, Eisbach KJ. Effects of topical copper tripeptide complex on CO2 laser-resurfaced skin. Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery. 2006;8(4):252-259. ↗
  19. Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. The human tripeptide GHK-Cu in prevention of oxidative stress and degenerative conditions of aging: implications for cognitive health. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2012;2012:324832. ↗
  20. Simeon A, Emonard H, Hornebeck W, Maquart FX. The tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ stimulates matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression by fibroblast cultures. Life Sciences. 2000;67(18):2257-2265. ↗