What do GHK and GHK-Cu mean?
GHK is the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (Gly-His-Lys). GHK-Cu refers to a copper(II)-GHK complex. In research papers these are related, but distinct, material descriptions: a study of GHK alone is not automatically a study of a copper complex. Check the reported compound, Cu:GHK ratio, pH, solution conditions and measurement method before comparing findings. Copper-complex studies report species that depend on their experimental conditions (Laussac et al., 1983; Conato et al., 2001).
How coordination studies examine GHK-Cu
Conato et al. (2001) examined copper-complex formation equilibria for GHK and related analogues. Their methods included potentiometry, solution calorimetry, UV-visible spectrophotometry, circular dichroism and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The paper discusses complexes with differing stoichiometries and stabilities under the tested conditions. These complementary methods help describe solution chemistry; they do not establish the identity or testing status of a commercial catalog item.
Laussac et al. (1983) used carbon-13 and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), together with EPR, to investigate Cu(II)-GHK across pH conditions. Their analysis discusses major and minor species in solution and cautions that NMR line broadening may not provide structural information about the major species by itself. When reviewing a coordination paper, read the experimental conditions and the authors' interpretation alongside any spectrum or proposed structure.
Reading a cell-model study in context
Pollard et al. (2005) studied GHK-Cu in a serum-free, in-vitro system using primary human dermal fibroblast cell lines. The methods report an exposure concentration of 1 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L and measurements of cell counts and selected growth factors. These are endpoints from the paper's specific cell model and conditions. They do not establish that a commercial product matches the study material or that findings transfer to other models.
Questions to ask when reading a GHK-Cu paper
Check how the authors identify the material; whether the study examines GHK, a copper complex or an analogue; and which pH, solution conditions and Cu:GHK ratio apply. Then note the experimental model, control or comparison, measurement method, endpoint and study limitations. Keeping these fields together makes comparisons clearer than relying on a search snippet or a broad label such as copper peptide.
Catalog context
This guide summarizes published laboratory research; it is not a batch report or product-specific test result. Use the live GHK-Cu product record for the current catalog identity and listed options, and the research peptide collection for the wider catalog. Selection Peptide Lab materials are supplied for laboratory and research use only.