GHK-Cu and Injury Recovery: What Has Been Studied

What the research covers

GHK-Cu has not been tested in humans for muscle, tendon or ligament injury. No human trial of GHK-Cu alone given by injection was found. GHK is a small peptide reported in human serum in 1973. GHK-Cu is GHK bound to copper.

In a 1994 trial, people with diabetes had their foot ulcers cleaned. A GHK-Cu gel was then put on the ulcers each day. The ulcers closed by a median of 98.5% with the gel, and 60.8% with a dummy gel. A 1992 trial tested a 0.4% copper peptide cream on venous stasis ulcers in 86 people. That cream did no better than placebo. A 2006 trial put GHK-Cu skin products on 13 people after laser skin resurfacing. They did not speed the fading of skin redness.

In a 1993 rodent (rat) study, GHK-Cu was injected into small wound chambers under the skin. It raised the collagen and protein laid down in them. In a 2003 study of 24 rodents (rat), a GHK-Cu gel sped the healing of skin wounds with poor blood supply. In 2015, 72 rodents (rat) had knee ligament (ACL) repair. Some then had GHK-Cu shots into the knee once a week for 4 weeks. Their knees were less loose at 6 weeks, but the gain was gone by 12 weeks.

A PubMed search on 27 September 2026 found no human trial of GHK-Cu alone given by injection. The search was (GHK-Cu OR copper tripeptide) AND (injection OR intradermal) AND humans[mh]. In one 2018 hair-loss study, 1000 patients had scalp injections of a mix that included copper tripeptide-1 and thymosin beta-4. Injections were given every 3 weeks for 8 sessions. The authors reported the treatment was well tolerated. The study had a single arm and no control group. So there are no human data on injected GHK-Cu alone for injury recovery.

Sources

1. Mulder GD, Patt LM, Sanders L, et al. Enhanced healing of ulcers in patients with diabetes by topical treatment with glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine copper. Wound Repair Regen (1994). PMID 17147644 doi:10.1046/j.1524-475X.1994.20406.x Human RCT: topical GHK-Cu gel on diabetic plantar ulcers; 98.5% vs 60.8% median closure.
2. Bishop JB, Phillips LG, Mustoe TA, et al. A prospective randomized evaluator-blinded trial of two potential wound healing agents for the treatment of venous stasis ulcers. J Vasc Surg (1992). PMID 1495150 doi:10.1067/mva.1992.37086 Human RCT, 86 people with venous stasis ulcers: 0.4% tripeptide copper cream no different from placebo.
3. Miller TR, Wagner JD, Baack BR, et al. Effects of topical copper tripeptide complex on CO2 laser-resurfaced skin. Arch Facial Plast Surg (2006). PMID 16847171 doi:10.1001/archfaci.8.4.252 Human RCT, 13 completers: GHK-Cu skin care products after CO2 laser resurfacing; no significant reduction of redness; higher patient satisfaction.
4. Kapoor R, Shome D Intradermal injections of a hair growth factor formulation for enhancement of human hair regrowth - safety and efficacy evaluation in a first-in-man pilot clinical study. J Cosmet Laser Ther (2018). PMID 29482481 doi:10.1080/14764172.2018.1439965 Human, single-arm, 1000 patients: scalp intradermal injections of a mix including thymosin beta-4 and copper tripeptide-1, every 3 weeks for 8 sessions; well tolerated.
5. Maquart FX, Bellon G, Chaqour B, et al. In vivo stimulation of connective tissue accumulation by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ in rat experimental wounds. J Clin Invest (1993). PMID 8227353 doi:10.1172/JCI116842 Rodent (rat) wound chambers: injected GHK-Cu raised collagen and other matrix content.
6. Canapp SO Jr, Farese JP, Schultz GS, et al. The effect of topical tripeptide-copper complex on healing of ischemic open wounds. Vet Surg (2003). PMID 14648529 doi:10.1111/j.1532-950x.2003.00515.x Rodent (rat), 24 animals: topical GHK-Cu gel sped closure of ischemic open wounds over 13 days.
7. Fu SC, Cheuk YC, Chiu WY, et al. Tripeptide-copper complex GHK-Cu (II) transiently improved healing outcome in a rat model of ACL reconstruction. J Orthop Res (2015). PMID 25731775 doi:10.1002/jor.22831 Rodent (rat), 72 animals: weekly intra-articular GHK-Cu after ACL reconstruction; benefit at 6 weeks, gone by 12 weeks.
8. Pickart L, Thaler MM Tripeptide in human serum which prolongs survival of normal liver cells and stimulates growth in neoplastic liver. Nat New Biol (1973). PMID 4349963 First report (1973) of the tripeptide in human serum; title only indexed.