AHK-Cu

ID: ahk_cu

Aliases: AHK-CU, L-alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper complex, tripeptide-copper hair peptide

Type: compound

Route/form: topical/cosmetic or hair-research context; no approved systemic route

Status: cosmetic_or_research

Evidence level: mechanistic

Best data tier: mechanistic/chemistry

Support scope: non-human/mechanistic, review/regulatory

Source types: in_vitro, review

Linked sources: 2

Broad outcomes: Hair / alopecia, Muscle growth / performance / recovery, Skin / wound repair

Reading note: These are curation notes anchored to linked sources, not a clinical recommendation or protocol.

Targets / mechanism

• dermal papilla cell proliferation
• hair shaft elongation in follicle culture
• copper peptide signaling

Optimization domains

• hair
• skin
• wound healing
• cosmetic

Research basis

• Human follicle/dermal papilla in vitro work gives a plausible hair-growth mechanism.
• Mechanistically adjacent to GHK-Cu copper-peptide skin matrix claims.

Limits, risks, and missing evidence

• Evidence is not an androgenetic alopecia clinical-outcome base.

Risk flags

• cosmetic evidence context
• in vitro only for hair claim
• unapproved context
• copper peptide tolerability

Linked papers, labels, and reviews

1. The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro
   in_vitro / pubmed_ahkcu_hair_invitro_2007
   AHK-Cu increased proliferation and hair-shaft elongation in human follicle organ culture / dermal papilla cell models.
2. Gene expression data suggest that the copper peptide GHK may have regenerative and protective actions
   review / pubmed_ghkcu_gene_data_2018
   Mechanistic/gene-expression review for GHK-Cu regenerative claims; useful context for skin/wound plausibility but not a direct cosmetic efficacy trial.