Copper peptides have become the darling of social media skin care hacks. People are smearing the electric-blue tincture on their face or drawing the concoction up in syringes.
The popular – and experimental – drugs called peptides received unprecedented attention last month during a marathon hearing held by a panel that advises the Food and Drug Administration.
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The compound, known as GHK-Copper, or simply GHK-Cu, has gained a massive following because of claims it can deliver firm and wrinkle-free skin, better hair and other anti-aging benefits.
The interest, in part, reflects the broader peptide-craze that has increasingly entered the mainstream wellness and longevity space.
As with many of these trendy peptides, GHK-Cu isn't an approved drug, but it does have considerable scientific research behind it. Topical copper peptide serums and creams have been on the market for decades and studied in human trials.
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What has changed recently is how people are administering this peptide: Instead of slathering it on their face, many are opting to take it as a subcutaneous injection. Sometimes it's "stacked" with other peptides that are promoted for tissue repair and anti-aging.
There is no data from published human studies to show this practice is safe and effective. And the risks are compounded by the fact that many people are sourcing the injectable formulations from a grey market of online sellers.
"I think GHK can have a major role in helping enhance longevity," says Dr. Warren Ladiges, a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine who has been involved in studying the peptide for many years.
"But injecting yourself without really knowing what it's going to do? I wouldn't do that to myself," he adds.
Despite the recent surge in popularity, the peptide has a history that stretches back more than fifty years.
The focus on skin health
In the early 1970s, a chemist named Loren Pickart first isolated GHK – a string of three amino acids Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine – after noticing that bathing liver cells in the lab with plasma from younger adults helped revive them.
By collecting blood from medical students and comparing it to their older professors, he also established that levels decline as people age.
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Since then, studies have found that GHK-Cu stimulates collagen production and other compounds involved in skin remodeling, triggers the growth of new blood vessels and has anti-inflammatory effects.
The controlled studies in humans have focused almost exclusively on skin health and aesthetics, and to a lesser extent on wound healing and hair growth.
These are generally small trials funded by the cosmetic industry showing GHK-Cu as a serum or cream improves thickness and elasticity, decreases wrinkles, promotes hair growth and delivers other benefits for damaged skin.
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"The science behind this is very solid," says Dr. David Goldberg, director of cosmetic dermatology for the Schweiger Dermatology Group and a clinical professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
He says GHK-Cu helps bolster collagen, part of the "scaffolding of the skin," and is on par with other topicals, like those containing Vitamin C and antioxidants.
However, pre-clinical research (not in humans) suggests the peptide holds promise beyond skin health.
For example, in animal studies, GHK-Cu was able to speed up wound healing and help repair organs, including fibrosis in the lungs.
Ladiges' experiments have also shown the "peptide stimulates a number of pathways that are associated with aging" and can alleviate some symptoms of Alzheimer's in mouse models.
Synthetic peptides are gaining popularity as a treatment, though most having not been tested for safety in humans. The government may make a change to allow compounding pharmacies to produce them.
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Efforts to move this work on longevity into human trials – and get buy-in from drug companies – have proven fruitless, though.
GHK-Cu is a naturally-occurring molecule. That means it would be difficult for drug companies to patent it without creating a unique version and then paying for human trials. Ladiges says it would require huge investment, meaning "it's probably never going to get FDA approval."
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