07 / THE PAPERS BEHIND EACH NUMBER
GHK-Cu studies and links to each paper
You can match every bracketed number with a paper below. The link tells you if the work involved volunteers, animals, or dish cells.
Where each GHK-Cu finding came from
Early GHK-Cu teams wanted to learn how this small copper-bound protein part helped repair tissue. Their work spread to skin, hair, wounds, and the brain. The papers appear below. You can open a paper to check a claim yourself.
A number in brackets, such as [6], points to that paper in the list. The list names the people who ran the study and where it appeared. The papers were all checked on the same day. Each summary also says when a test used GHK without copper.
That difference matters because GHK-Cu caused most changes in skin support. Human skin and hair tests tell you more than rat or dish work. Some newer papers ask how GHK-Cu gets through skin. Brain claims still rest on animals or cells.
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- Pickart L. The human tri-peptide GHK and tissue remodeling. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed. 2008;19(8):969-988. ↗
- Jiang F, Wu Y, Liu Z, Hong M, Huang Y. Synergy of GHK-Cu and hyaluronic acid on collagen IV upregulation via fibroblast and ex-vivo skin tests. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2023;22(9):2598-2604. ↗
- Dymek M, Olechowska K, Hac-Wydro K, Sikora E. Liposomes as Carriers of GHK-Cu Tripeptide for Cosmetic Application. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(10):2485. ↗
- Tosto R, Vecchio G, Bellia F. New Biotinylated GHK and Related Copper(II) Complex: Antioxidant and Antiglycant Properties In Vitro against Neurodegenerative Disorders. Molecules. 2023;28(18):6724. ↗
- Bobyntsev II, Chernysheva OI, Dolgintsev ME, Smakhtin MY, Belykh AE. Anxiolytic effects of Gly-His-Lys peptide and its analogs. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2015;158(6):726-728. ↗
- Mortazavi SM, Mohammadi Vadoud SA, Moghimi HR. Topically applied GHK as an anti-wrinkle peptide: Advantages, problems and prospective. BioImpacts. 2025;15:30071. ↗
- 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;33:1-15. ↗
- 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. ↗
- Sever'yanova LA, Dolgintsev ME. Effects of Tripeptide Gly-His-Lys in Pain-Induced Aggressive-Defensive Behavior in Rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2017;164(2):140-143. ↗
- 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. J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl. 1997;692(1):37-42. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗