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Copper(II) complex of the tripeptide L-alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine

AHK-Cu — evidence

What has been published, classified by the kind of document it is. This is not a protocol, not a score, and not a recommendation for use.

Evidence overview

1 record in this file

  • IN VITRO1

Research areas. Hair-follicle laboratory research.

Publication span. 2007.

What we know

    Editorial reading of the records below, labelled as Therapept analysis. How records are built

    What remains uncertain

      Regulatory notes

      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.

      Regulatory status describes how a substance is classified. It is not a safety assessment of any particular material.

      Studies and documents

      1. IN VITRO2007Ex vivo human hair-follicle culture and dermal-papilla cell study

        The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro

        Pyo HK, Yoo HG, Won CH, Lee SH, Kang YJ, Eun HC, Cho KH, Kim KHArchives of Pharmacal Research

        Population
        Human hair follicles maintained ex vivo and cultured human dermal papilla cells
        Objective
        To test whether AHK-Cu affects elongation of human hair follicles ex vivo and proliferation of dermal papilla cells in culture.
        Endpoint investigated
        Follicle elongation, dermal-papilla cell proliferation and apoptosis markers

        The authors report that AHK-Cu stimulated elongation of human hair follicles ex vivo and proliferation of dermal papilla cells in culture, with changes in apoptosis-related markers. The reported reduction in apoptotic cells at the tested concentration was not statistically significant.

        Limitations. Laboratory study. Ex vivo follicle elongation and cell proliferation are not human clinical outcomes, and no delivery, safety or efficacy conclusion for people can be drawn. No human trial of AHK-Cu is indexed here.

        DOI 10.1007/BF02978833Pyo et al., Arch Pharm Res (2007) — PubMed 17703734Reviewed 13 November 2026

      Last reviewed 13 November 2026 · Compiled by Therapept Editorial · How these records are built