Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+.
Maquart. F X FX; Pickart. L L; Laurent. M M; Gillery. P P; Monboisse. J C JC; Borel. J P JP
Key Findings
- GHK‑Cu stimulates collagen synthesis in fibroblasts starting at 10⁻¹²–10⁻¹¹ M, peaking around 10⁻⁹ M.
- The effect occurs without changing cell proliferation, indicating a direct boost to collagen output.
- A GHK sequence is naturally present in type I collagen, implying the peptide could be released locally during tissue damage.
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers, the data supports the idea that GHK‑Cu may be useful in skin‑care or wound‑healing products, but human dosing is not established. It points to potential low‑dose topical or oral formulations, yet further clinical research is needed before precise protocols can be recommended.
Summary
The study shows that the copper‑bound tripeptide GHK (GHK‑Cu) can boost collagen production in cultured skin cells at extremely low concentrations, without increasing the number of cells. This suggests the peptide may help wound healing and skin repair when it’s released at injury sites.
Abstract
Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (GHK) is a tripeptide with affinity for copper(II) ions and was isolated from human plasma. This peptide appears to play a physiological role in wound healing. We report the stimulating effect of GHK-Cu on collagen synthesis by fibroblasts. The stimulation began between 10(-12) and 10(-11) M, maximized at 10(-9) M, and was independent of any change in cell number. The presence of a GHK triplet in the alpha 2(I) chain of type I collagen suggests that the tripeptide might be liberated by proteases at the site of a wound and exert in situ healing effects.
Study Information
pubmed
1988
1988-10-10T00:00:00.000Z
10.1016/0014-5793(88)80509-x