GHK-Cu 50 mg

What is GHK-Cu?

GHK-Cu is the complex formed by the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (GHK) and a copper(II) ion. Other names in use are Copper Tripeptide-1, prezatide copper and Cu(II)-GHK. The tripeptide occurs naturally in human blood plasma: it was isolated there as a constituent and forms a chelate complex with copper(II) ions. The product in the catalogue, by contrast, is produced synthetically.

Chemical structure and key data

The peptide itself is short: glycine, histidine and lysine, linked to form H-Gly-L-His-L-Lys-OH with a free amino and carboxy terminus. This tripeptide binds the copper(II) ion as a chelate complex. Unlike hormone analogues, GHK-Cu is not assigned to any single classical receptor. Which key data apply depends on which form is being considered:

• Free peptide GHK: C14H24N6O4, 340.38 g/mol, CAS 49557-75-7, PubChem CID 73587
• Neutral 1:1 copper complex: C14H22CuN6O4, around 401.9 g/mol
• Copper complex (prezatide copper): CAS 89030-95-5, PubChem CID 71587328

Product information frequently confuses the CAS numbers of free GHK and the copper complex; 49557-75-7 belongs to the copper-free tripeptide, 89030-95-5 to the copper complex. There are also entries for a 2:1 bis complex and for an acetate with a considerably higher molar mass. The exact figure therefore depends on stoichiometry and counter-ion.

GHK-Cu in the range

In the Melanocortins & Copper Peptides category, GHK-Cu sits alongside the α-MSH analogues MT1 and MT2. It shares their place in the catalogue, but not their molecular class: the melanocortins are receptor ligands, whereas GHK-Cu is a peptide–metal complex. GHK-Cu is also part of the GLP-3 + GHK-Cu set, which comprises two vials and combines it with the incretin analogue GLP-3.

Research context

GHK-Cu is studied mainly in in-vitro models with fibroblasts and other cell cultures, and in preclinical work on the chemistry of copper peptides. The focus is on the binding and provision of copper, the synthesis of extracellular matrix components – collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans – and gene expression patterns associated with GHK.

Analytics at GPeptides

The vial contains 50 mg; the listed purity is ≥ 98 % (HPLC). For identity testing by mass spectrometry, the mass of the tripeptide GHK is the central reference point: C14H24N6O4, around 340.19 Da monoisotopic. Whether copper-containing signals also appear depends on ionisation and measurement conditions. Copper has two stable isotopes, which is why such signals show a characteristic isotope pattern. Testing is carried out by an independent external laboratory: GHK-Cu is regularly tested externally by HPLC and mass spectrometry. We publish the available certificates of analysis (COA) in the lab area; if none has been filed there yet, testing is considered pending. What a percentage purity figure covers, and what it does not, is explained in the guide Purity of research peptides.