AHK-Cu
A copper tripeptide closely related to GHK-Cu, with alanine in place of glycine. It is a research and cosmetic ingredient, not an approved drug.
AHK-Cu Biological Classification
Investigated within physiological and chemical models.
What kind of compound
Peptide
Copper(II) complex of the tripeptide L-alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine.
Human testing on file
0human records
0 animal · 1 total indexed. No human data indexed.
Regulatory position
No FDA-approved product; no registered human trial identified; cosmetic topical use only.
Studied for
Copper-peptide follicle biology
Reviewed 13 November 2026
Known safety concerns in this file
- No approved product and no registered human trial identified.
- Copper peptide cosmetics have a topical-use history; injectable use is a different and unapproved route.
- Human safety for hair-growth use is uncharacterised.
Commonly compared with
- GHK-Cu — The parent tripeptide, with a larger but still limited literature.
- Minoxidil — Approved topical treatment with human trial data.
What is AHK-Cu?
A copper tripeptide closely related to GHK-Cu, with alanine in place of glycine. It is a research and cosmetic ingredient, not an approved drug. A copper tripeptide closely related to GHK-Cu. The directly relevant published evidence is a single ex vivo human hair-follicle and dermal-papilla cell study; Therapept identified no human clinical trial of AHK-Cu for hair growth.
Why are people interested in it?
A single laboratory study reported that it prolonged human hair follicles ex vivo and increased dermal-papilla cell proliferation, which is a starting point, not a clinical result.
Primary Research Categories
- Metal-peptide complexes
- Hair-follicle research
- Cosmetic ingredients
How does it work in the body?
Proposed copper-dependent effects on dermal papilla cells and follicle growth. The published evidence is ex vivo human follicle culture and cell culture, not a human trial.
Biological Pathway Overview
AHK-Cu Receptor & Target Interactions
This compound is evaluated in scientific research for its interactions with target cellular receptors and signaling cascades. Consult the evidence section below for specific peer-reviewed papers.
Copper transport
Named in the published mechanism discussion for this compound.
Dermal papilla proliferation
Named in the published mechanism discussion for this compound.
Apoptosis signalling
Named in the published mechanism discussion for this compound.
Key Distinction: An investigational or unapproved compound has no approved indication, and a proposed mechanism is not a demonstrated clinical effect.
What has actually been demonstrated in humans?
One directly relevant published study: human hair follicles ex vivo and cultured dermal papilla cells. No human clinical trial is indexed.
Pharmaceutical Reality vs. Unregulated Research Chemicals
No FDA-approved product; no registered human trial identified; cosmetic topical use only. Any human trial with hair density or shedding endpoints.
What is still uncertain or unknown?
Any human trial with hair density or shedding endpoints. Whether the ex vivo effect survives topical delivery in vivo. A verified identity standard for commercial material.
Research at a Glance
Open the full evidence file (1 records)1 record in this file
- IN VITRO1
Publication span: 2007
What Has Actually Been Studied
- The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro (Archives of Pharmacal Research, 2007) — Ex vivo human hair-follicle culture and dermal-papilla cell study.
What is Still Unknown
What we know
Editorial reading of the records below, labelled as Therapept analysis. How records are built
What remains uncertain
Preparation and Handling
Lyophilized peptides ship as freeze-dried powders; whatever happens next involves diluents, concentrations and storage conditions that are compound- and product-specific.
United States Regulatory Status
No FDA-approved product
- No approved drug product exists in Drugs@FDA.
- Therapept identified no registered human clinical trial of AHK-Cu for hair growth or pigmentation at review.
- Copper tripeptides are used as cosmetic ingredients. Cosmetic ingredient status is not a therapeutic approval and says nothing about injectable routes.
- Therapept has not verified a CAS number for the copper complex and does not publish one here.
Technical Chemical SpecificationsClick to view CAS, sequence, and molecular formulas
- Molecular weight
- Unknown
- Sequence length
- 32 chars
- CAS number
- Unknown
- PubChem CID
- None assigned
- Compound class
- Copper(II) complex of the tripeptide L-alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine; a structural analogue of GHK-Cu in which glycine is replaced by alanine
- Sequence
- Ala-His-Lys, complexed to Cu(II)
- Molecular formula
- Unknown
- Molecular weight
- Unknown
- CAS number
- Unknown
- PubChem CID
- Unknown
Sources
Last reviewed 13 November 2026 · Compiled by Therapept Editorial · How these records are built