AHK-Cu 10 mg Copper Research Peptide

What is AHK-Cu?

AHK-Cu is a copper peptide: the tripeptide L-alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (AHK) bound to copper(II). It is supplied here as a PEPTYVA 10 mg vial for laboratory research use only. This vial is not a medicine or a cosmetic, and it is not intended for use in people.

PubChem lists the AHK peptide with the formula C15H26N6O4 and a molecular weight of 354.41 g/mol. It also holds a separate AHK-Cu record in monohydrochloride form under CAS 682809-81-0. The exact copper complex and salt form of each lot should be read on its Certificate of Analysis (COA).

How is AHK-Cu studied in research?

AHK-Cu has been studied in hair follicle and dermal papilla models. The main published study is a 2007 laboratory paper from the Department of Dermatology at Seoul National University. The authors built on earlier work describing tripeptide-copper complexes as growth factors for several differentiated cell types, including dermal fibroblasts. They tested AHK-Cu on human hair follicles kept alive outside the body (ex vivo) and on cultured dermal papilla cells, the specialized fibroblasts at the base of the follicle that are involved in follicle growth.

• Hair follicle elongation ex vivo and dermal papilla cell proliferation were greater with AHK-Cu than without it.

• Markers of programmed cell death shifted in dermal papilla cells: the Bcl-2 to Bax ratio rose, and cleaved caspase-3 and PARP fell.

• The fall in the number of apoptotic cells itself was not statistically significant.

What do these laboratory findings mean?

They describe a mechanism under investigation in isolated tissue and cells. Cultured follicles and cell lines do not reproduce the conditions of living skin, and a single laboratory study has not been independently repeated in the published literature we found. The findings do not show an effect on hair in people.

What does the current human evidence show?

We found no published human studies of AHK-Cu in a PubMed search in October 2026. Effects in people, including on hair, are not established. Any future human data would need to come from controlled studies of AHK-Cu itself. That is why this product carries evidence grade D, which means the evidence comes mainly from cell, animal or mechanistic studies.

How does AHK-Cu differ from GHK-Cu?

Both are copper(II) complexes of tripeptides that end in histidine and lysine. AHK-Cu starts with alanine, while GHK-Cu starts with glycine. GHK occurs naturally in human plasma and has a much larger body of research, reviewed by Pickart and colleagues. Findings on GHK-Cu should not be transferred to AHK-Cu, because a change in one amino acid can change how a peptide behaves.

What is the regulatory status of AHK-Cu?

AHK-Cu is not an FDA-approved drug. It does not appear on FDA's April 2026 page of bulk drug substances with potential significant safety risks; that absence is not an approval or a safety finding. In Mexico, this vial is supplied only as research-use-only material, not as a registered medicine or a cosmetic. Our regulatory framework page explains how COFEPRIS registration works.