GHK-Cu
GHK-Cu is a tiny peptide, just three amino acids long, carrying a copper atom. The peptide part occurs naturally in human blood plasma.
Where it came from
GHK was found by Loren Pickart in 1973, during his PhD in biochemistry at the University of California, San Francisco. He isolated it from human blood plasma and published the finding with M. Michael Thaler in the journal Nature that year.
Its exact makeup was confirmed in 1977: a chain of just three amino acids, glycine, histidine and lysine.
Worth knowing
- The name is simply its three building blocks in one-letter shorthand: G for glycine, H for histidine, K for lysine. "Cu" is the chemical symbol for copper, which the peptide carries.
- It is one of the smallest peptides known to hold on to copper. On its own it weighs about 340 units, roughly a third of PT-141.
- It grips copper about as tightly as albumin does, the large blood protein that normally carries copper. That is a peptide of three building blocks matching a protein nearly 200 times its length.
At a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Chain length | 3 amino acids |
| Chemical formula | C14H24N6O4Cu |
| Weight of one molecule | 403.9 g/mol |
| Form | Freeze-dried powder |
| Storage | Sealed in a freezer at -20 °C, away from light |
Weight is shown in grams per mole (g/mol), the standard unit chemists use. It's the number a lab checks a sample against to confirm it's the right compound.
Lab reports
Every batch (called a lot) of GHK-Cu is tested by an independent lab. The report shows the lab, the test date, the lot number, how pure the sample is and how much is in the vial. Find them on the Certificates of Analysis page. New to lab reports? Start with How to read a peptide lab report.
The weight above is for the compound on its own. A report may show a slightly higher figure, because the powder also carries a little salt left from manufacturing. Peptide salt forms explains why.
Storage
Keep the vial sealed in a freezer at -20 °C, away from light, and let it warm to room temperature before opening so moisture doesn't get in. More in Storing lyophilized (freeze-dried) peptides in the lab and the Research handling guidelines.
For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.