Ingredient intelligence
Copper tripeptide-1
Peptide · Copper Tripeptide-1 · C14H22CuN6O4
Copper tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) is a glycyl-histidyl-lysine peptide complexed with copper, studied for matrix gene-expression effects largely in cell and animal models.
Molecular identity
- Formula
- C14H22CuN6O4
- Molecular weight
- 402 g/mol
- PubChem CID
- 73942
- ChEBI
- Data unavailable
Biological targets
Lysyl oxidase (LOX)
low confidenceactivates · enzyme
Copper is a required LOX cofactor.
UniProt P28300Matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2)
low confidencemodulates · enzyme
UniProt P08253Decorin (DCN)
low confidenceassociated with · structural protein
UniProt P07585
How could this ingredient interact with biology?
Biological network
Ingredient → molecule → target → gene/protein → pathway → process → studied outcome. Relationship strength is drawn from the curated confidence tier; nothing is added to make the chain look complete.
drag to pan · hover to isolate a path · click a node for detail
11 lower-confidence relationships are hidden at this filter level. Use “Show more biology” to include them.
Text alternative for this network
- Copper tripeptide-1 is molecule GHK tripeptide — high confidence
- Copper tripeptide-1 is molecule GHK-Cu complex — high confidence
Biological pathways
Collagen biosynthesis and modifying enzymes
low confidenceCopper-dependent crosslinking enzymes and collagen gene expression.
Reactome R-HSA-1650814
Extracellular matrix organisation
low confidenceMatrix protein and proteoglycan expression changes reported in fibroblast models.
Reactome R-HSA-1474244
Evidence engine
Insufficient
Not enough curated evidence to characterise this ingredient.
Skinceptor Evidence Index
20
experimental · of 100
This index is a research-navigation aid describing how much evidence exists and how it was produced. It is not a medical safety score, an efficacy guarantee, or a clinical recommendation.
Study composition
- Review1
- Total studies
- 1
- Human studies
- 0
- Largest sample
- Data unavailable
- Range
- 2015–2015
Index breakdown
- Study design quality45% × 28%
Mean design weight across curated studies (meta-analysis 1.0, RCT 0.9, other human 0.7, review 0.45, animal 0.35, in-vitro 0.25).
- Human evidence share0% × 22%
Proportion of curated evidence measured in people rather than cells or animals.
- Evidence volume32% × 14%
Log-scaled count of curated studies, so volume alone cannot dominate the score.
- Largest sample size0% × 12%
Log-scaled largest reported sample size across curated human studies.
- Replication0% × 12%
Independent human studies, capped at three; one study is never treated as replicated.
- Recency45% × 7%
Linear decay over a twenty-year window from the most recent curated publication.
- Source traceability0% × 5%
Share of curated studies with a verified PMID or DOI in this dataset.
Insufficient comparable evidence for quantitative synthesis.
Research timeline
How the evidence accumulated
2015
GHK peptide in tissue remodelling and gene expression
Reviewsample size unavailable · Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity (review)
Ingredient fingerprint
14 nodes · 20 relationships · seed "copper-tripeptide-1"
The fingerprint is a deterministic visual signature: ridge amplitude comes from the number of entities in each tier, node placement from identifier hashes, and opacity from confidence. Two ingredients can never produce the same figure unless their networks are identical.
Open in Biology as Art →Research
1 curated study
GHK peptide in tissue remodelling and gene expression
Summarises reported effects of GHK and GHK-Cu on matrix protein and antioxidant gene expression in cell and animal models.
Limitations — Review with substantial single-group authorship; human cosmetic endpoints sparse.
Community evidence
Submitted by readers
Reader submissions appear here only after review. They are not part of the curated dataset and do not affect the Skinceptor Evidence Index.
No approved community submissions yet.
Sources
- PubChem 73942retrieved 2026-09-14
- UniProt P28300retrieved 2026-09-14
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