GHK-Cu is a tripeptide-copper complex: glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine bound to a divalent copper ion. Molecular formula C14H24CuN6O4, molecular weight 403.93 g/mol. This listing is the 100mg lyophilized dose vial — the same compound sold in this catalogue as bulk raw powder at 1g, packaged instead as a single measured vial for researchers who don’t need bulk quantity.
The copper is not an additive — it is the functional core of the molecule. GHK binds Cu2+ with high affinity through the histidine imidazole and the terminal amine, and it is the complex rather than the bare tripeptide that most published work concerns. This is why the material is blue: that colour is the copper coordination itself, and it is the most immediate visual confirmation that the complex has formed correctly.
Research context
Published work centres on extracellular matrix biology: collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis, metalloproteinase and TIMP expression, and fibroblast behaviour in dermal preparations. A separate strand examines gene expression profiling, where GHK-Cu has been reported to shift transcription across a substantial number of genes in cultured cells.
Copper-dependent enzymology sits behind much of this — lysyl oxidase, which cross-links collagen and elastin, and superoxide dismutase both require copper — so the peptide is often studied as a delivery mechanism for bioavailable copper as much as a signalling molecule in its own right.
For a fuller treatment of the sequence, published models and technical data, see the GHK-Cu research guide.
Specification
CAS number 49557-75-7. Supplied as a blue lyophilized powder at 100mg, soluble in water. Ships with a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis — cross-check the batch ID printed on your vial against the CoA before use, and see the guide to reading a CoA if you are unfamiliar with the format.
Handling
Reconstitute with bacteriostatic or sterile water, introducing the diluent against the vial wall and swirling gently rather than shaking. A loss of blue colour indicates the copper complex has dissociated and the material should not be relied upon.
Avoid chelating agents such as EDTA in buffer preparations, which will strip the copper. Store lyophilized at −20°C protected from light; refrigerate at 2–8°C once reconstituted.
Frequently asked questions about GHK-Cu 100mg
Should I buy the 100mg vial or the 1g raw powder?
It depends on how much material the protocol needs and how it will be weighed out. The 100mg vial is a single measured dose, useful when the study doesn’t need bulk material or when precise sub-weighing of bulk powder isn’t practical in your setup. The 1g raw powder is more economical per milligram for labs that regularly weigh out their own doses. Both are the same compound at the same purity standard.
Why is GHK-Cu blue?
The colour is the copper coordination itself — a d-d electronic transition in the Cu2+ ion held by the peptide. It is not a dye or an additive. That makes it unusually useful as a quality check: blue means the complex has formed, and a loss of colour means the copper has dissociated and you are left with the bare tripeptide, which is a different molecule with different reported activity.
Why must EDTA and chelators be avoided?
Because they compete for the copper. EDTA binds Cu2+ with higher affinity than GHK does and will strip it out of the complex, leaving unbound GHK in solution. Since most published work concerns the copper complex rather than the free peptide, that changes what you are studying. Screen buffer components for chelating agents before preparing solutions.
How is GHK-Cu stored and handled?
Bacteriostatic or sterile water for reconstitution. Introduce the diluent against the vial wall and swirl gently rather than shaking. Store lyophilized at −20°C protected from light; refrigerate at 2–8°C once reconstituted.
Research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, not for use in diagnostic procedures, and not evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
