This is a working overview of glycyl-histidyl-lysine, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
This page was last updated on 2026-03-24 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
GHK-Cu is a coordination complex formed between the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine and a copper(II) ion. The peptide backbone consists of glycine, histidine, and lysine joined in that order. Copper is held through the imidazole nitrogen of histidine and the alpha-amino group at the N-terminus, which together produce a square-planar arrangement around the metal center. The solid appears blue to violet, a color that originates from d-d electronic transitions within the copper coordination sphere. The complex is indexed under CAS number 89030-95-5.
The sequence now called GHK was first reported in the early 1970s after isolation from human plasma, where it was noted to influence liver cell behavior in laboratory preparations. Later work described a copper-binding form and its activity in fibroblast and wound-model experiments. Review articles frequently group the substance with other copper peptides. Concentrations in blood appear to fall with age in several small surveys, although the reason for this trend is not settled. Whether such a decline carries functional consequences remains an open question.
The tripeptide was first isolated from a human plasma filtrate in 1973 during studies of tissue repair factors. Later work detected the free peptide and its copper complex in saliva, urine, and wound fluid, suggesting a natural role in tissue remodeling. Plasma concentrations reported in early literature decline with age, a pattern often cited in discussions of skin aging. Whether these endogenous levels are directly functional or largely incidental remains an open question. The peptide sequence is conserved across mammalian species.
Material described in research and cosmetic supply chains is typically a synthetic peptide supplied as a lyophilized powder. Purity is commonly reported through chromatographic separation, often at 95 percent or higher, while copper content is confirmed by separate elemental analysis. Batch variation in color and solubility can reflect residual counter-ions, moisture, or partial oxidation of the peptide. Because the complex is not a single regulatory entity, specifications differ between suppliers and are not standardized internationally.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical class | Copper(II) peptide complex | Peptide chain coordinated to a single metal ion |
| CAS number | 89030-95-5 | Indexed for the peptide-copper complex |
| Molecular formula | C14H22CuN6O4 | Approximate formula for a one-to-one complex |
| Appearance | Blue to violet solid | Color from copper d-d transitions |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Also dispersible in some polar solvents |
The sequence carries three residues in the order glycine, histidine, lysine, which places a small, flexible chain around a single metal centre. Compared with larger copper-binding proteins, the complex is compact and its coordination chemistry can be reproduced with synthetic peptide in a laboratory. Published structural work agrees on the nitrogen donor set but differs in the exact geometry assigned under some conditions, so the arrangement is best treated as well characterised in outline rather than fixed in every detail.
GHK-Cu is a coordination complex formed between the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine and a copper(II) ion. The peptide was isolated from human plasma in the early 1970s by Loren Pickart, who observed that a plasma fraction from young donors stimulated growth in cultured liver cells. The copper-bound form is abbreviated GHK-Cu, while the metal-free peptide is written simply as GHK. In the research literature the complex also appears as copper tripeptide-1 and as glycyl-histidyl-lysine copper complex.
Copper(II) binds the peptide through four nitrogen donors: the terminal amino group, the imidazole nitrogen of histidine, and two deprotonated amide nitrogens of the peptide backbone. This tetradentate arrangement gives a roughly square-planar geometry, the thermodynamically favoured form near neutral pH. Because the amide nitrogens must lose a proton before they can coordinate, complex formation is strongly pH-dependent, and the fully coordinated species dominates only above mildly acidic conditions. Electronic transitions within the copper d orbital set produce the characteristic blue to violet colour in aqueous solution.
Copper content is measured separately, since a peptide assay alone does not report the metal-to-peptide ratio. Elemental techniques such as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy quantify copper after acid digestion of the sample. The result is compared with the theoretical value for a one-to-one complex, and a shortfall indicates free peptide or partial dissociation. Suppliers differ in how they state purity, as some quote peptide content and others quote the whole complex. A defined stoichiometry therefore requires both a peptide assay and a copper assay.
Solid GHK-Cu is usually supplied as a lyophilized powder and is kept cold and dry. Moisture, light, and repeated temperature cycling shorten its useful life in the laboratory. In aqueous solution the complex undergoes slow hydrolysis of the peptide backbone and gradual loss of coordinated copper. Buffers containing strong chelators, such as EDTA, compete for the metal and strip it from the peptide. Working solutions are therefore prepared shortly before use, and leftover liquid is not returned to the stock container.
=== Aftermath === Upon the release of the information regarding fen-phen's cardiac risks, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America formed a large trial lawyer group to seek damages from American Home Products, the distributor of fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine. Fen-phen is no longer widely available. In April 2005, American Lawyer magazine ran a cover story on the wave of fen-phen litigation, reporting that more than 50,000 product liability lawsuits had been filed by alleged fen-phen victims. Total liability was estimated to be as high as $14 billion. Wyeth was still in negotiations with injured parties in February 2005, offering settlements of $5,000 to $200,000 to some of those who had sued, and stating they might offer more to those who were most seriously injured. One plaintiff's attorney said that "the payments [were] not going to be large enough to cover medical expenses." Thousands of injured persons rejected these offers. At the time, Wyeth announced it had set aside $21.1 billion (U.S.) to cover the cost of the lawsuits.
For most of its history, Grace's main business was cargo shipping, operating the Grace Line. To move cargo from Peru to North America and Europe, including guano and sugar, and noticing the need for other goods to be traded, William Grace founded a shipping division. Grace Line began service in 1882, with ports of call between Peru and New York. Regular steamship service was established in 1893, with a subsidiary called the New York & Pacific Steamship Co., that operated under the British flag. Ships built outside the United States before 1905 were banned from the US registry. US-flag service began in 1912 with the Atlantic and Pacific Steamship Company. The activities of both companies and the parent firm were consolidated into the Grace Steamship Company beginning in 1916. The firm originally specialized in traffic to the west coast of South America then later expanded into the Caribbean.
In children, orthodontic treatment to expand the volume of the nasal airway, such as nonsurgical rapid palatal expansion is common. The procedure has been found to significantly decrease the AHI and lead to long-term resolution of clinical symptoms. Since the palatal suture is fused in adults, regular RPE using tooth-borne expanders cannot be performed. Mini-implant assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) has been recently developed as a non-surgical option for the transverse expansion of the maxilla in adults. This method increases the volume of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx, leading to increased airflow and reduced respiratory arousals during sleep. Changes are permanent with minimal complications.
There is a large presence of microorganisms in the lungs known as the lung microbiota that interacts with the airway epithelial cells; an interaction of probable importance in maintaining homeostasis. The microbiota is complex and dynamic in healthy people, and altered in diseases such as asthma and COPD. For example significant changes can take place in COPD following infection with rhinovirus. Fungal genera that are commonly found as mycobiota in the microbiota include Candida, Malassezia, Saccharomyces, and Aspergillus.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Thirlby's Anderson was also highlighted, such as by Berkshire for carrying the film's emotional story and said, "one of the film's true thrills comes in watching Thirlby effortlessly balance the conflict between a Judge's merciless duties and a psychic's compassionate understanding." The New Statesman's Laura Sneddon noted that Dredd passed the Bechdel test, lacking in sexism or misogyny and positively portraying female characters who are no weaker, more sexualised or shown less than their male counterparts. Sneddon described Anderson as repeatedly shown to have power over men who underestimate her, while Ma-Ma displays more intelligence and sadism than any of her male gang members, and neither woman interacts with the other on the basis of their gender. Many US newspaper critics were less taken with the film. Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles Times called it "a clunk-headed action picture" that "simply becomes a monotonous series of bad-guy confrontations". Frank Lovece of Newsday described it as a "soullessly gritty" film, which apart from one believable scene involving Thirlby, is "all tough-guy talk and humorless cynicism". Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger called it a "gray and ugly film", said that there was little to draw viewers in, and wrote that apart from the drug-induced slow-motion sequences, the film offers nothing new.
Clinical chemistry (also known as chemical pathology, clinical biochemistry or medical biochemistry) is a division in pathology and medical laboratory sciences focusing on qualitative tests of important compounds, referred to as analytes or markers, in bodily fluids and tissues using analytical techniques and specialized instruments. This interdisciplinary field includes knowledge from medicine, biology, chemistry, biomedical engineering, informatics, and an applied form of biochemistry (not to be confused with medicinal chemistry, which involves basic research for drug development). The discipline originated in the late 19th century with the use of simple chemical reaction tests for various components of blood and urine. Many decades later, clinical chemists use automated analyzers in many clinical laboratories. These instruments perform experimental techniques ranging from pipetting specimens and specimen labelling to advanced measurement techniques such as spectrometry, chromatography, photometry, potentiometry, etc. These instruments provide different results that help identify uncommon analytes, changes in light and electronic voltage properties of naturally occurring analytes such as enzymes, ions, electrolytes, and their concentrations, all of which are important for diagnosing diseases. Blood and urine are the most common test specimens clinical chemists or medical laboratory scientists collect for clinical routine tests, with a main focus on serum and plasma in blood. There are now many blood tests and clinical urine tests with extensive diagnostic capabilities.
The primary antihypertensive mechanism of beta blockers is unclear, but may involve reduction in cardiac output (due to negative chronotropic and inotropic effects). It may also be due to reduction in renin release from the kidneys, and a central nervous system effect to reduce sympathetic activity (for those beta blockers that do cross the blood–brain barrier, e.g. propranolol). Antianginal effects result from negative chronotropic and inotropic effects, which decrease cardiac workload and oxygen demand. Negative chronotropic properties of beta blockers allow the lifesaving property of heart rate control. Beta blockers are readily titrated to optimal rate control in many pathologic states. The antiarrhythmic effects of beta blockers arise from sympathetic nervous system blockade—resulting in depression of sinus node function and atrioventricular node conduction, and prolonged atrial refractory periods. Sotalol, in particular, has additional antiarrhythmic properties and prolongs action potential duration through potassium channel blockade. Blockade of the sympathetic nervous system on renin release leads to reduced aldosterone via the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, with a resultant decrease in blood pressure due to decreased sodium and water retention.
M320 is an extremely potent and long acting opioid. It produces long lasting narcosis in different animals, including mice, rats, cats, guinea pigs, dogs and monkeys. M320 is a μ and κ-opioid receptor agonist. Similarly to TL 2636, M320 tends to produce pronounced nausea and vomiting due to its potent agonist activity at both the μ and κ-opioid receptors at the same time.
Bariatric surgery ("weight loss surgery") is the use of surgical intervention in the treatment of obesity. As every operation may have complications, surgery is only recommended for severely obese people (BMI > 40) who have failed to lose weight following dietary modification and pharmacological treatment. Weight loss surgery relies on various principles: the two most common approaches are reducing the volume of the stomach (e.g. by adjustable gastric banding and vertical banded gastroplasty), which produces an earlier sense of satiation, and reducing the length of bowel that comes into contact with food (e.g. by gastric bypass surgery or endoscopic duodenal-jejunal bypass surgery), which directly reduces absorption. Band surgery is reversible, while bowel shortening operations are not. Some procedures can be performed laparoscopically. Complications from weight loss surgery are frequent. Surgery for severe obesity is associated with long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality. One study found a weight loss of between 14% and 25% (depending on the type of procedure performed) at 10 years, and a 29% reduction in all cause mortality when compared to standard weight loss measures. A marked decrease in the risk of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and cancer has also been found after bariatric surgery. Marked weight loss occurs during the first few months after surgery, and the loss is sustained in the long term.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is the copper complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-lysine. The metal ion is held by the histidine imidazole group and the peptide N-terminus. Most research on it concerns skin and wound models.
The tripeptide was first isolated from human plasma and has also been reported in saliva and urine. Plasma levels appear to decline with age in some small studies. Those observations rest on limited sample sizes.
It is not authorized as a systemic medicine in most countries. Cosmetic preparations list it as an ingredient rather than an active pharmaceutical substance. Legal status therefore differs by jurisdiction.
It is a complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine with a copper(II) ion. The peptide coordinates the metal through its histidine, amino terminus, and an amide nitrogen. It is often listed simply as copper tripeptide-1.