Peps
What is AHK-Cu?
AHK-Cu is a copper complex of the tripeptide alanine-histidine-lysine. It is related to GHK-Cu but is a different molecule. Its featured evidence uses donated human hair follicles and cultured cells, not people using a product.
Biological role or research focus
Hair-follicle and dermal papilla cell research.
This was a single laboratory study using tissue and cells, not a clinical trial. It does not show hair regrowth in people, a useful product strength, or whether a topical product reaches the follicle.
Role reference: The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro · 2007 ↗
Names you may encounter
Ala-His-Lys copper · L-alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper
Search terms can include brands, combinations, or historical names. They are not automatic product equivalents.
- Class / identity
- Copper(II) complex of the tripeptide alanine-histidine-lysine; related to, but distinct from, GHK-Cu
- Research focus
- Hair-follicle and dermal papilla cell research
- Featured evidence
- Human tissue (ex vivo) and cell study
- Source check
- October 4, 2026
Source: The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro · 2007 ↗
Biology & proposed mechanism
In the featured study, AHK-Cu increased the growth of hair follicles kept alive in culture and the multiplication of dermal papilla cells, which help control hair growth. The authors linked this to lower markers of programmed cell death. Follicle growth in a dish is a separate question from visible hair regrowth.
Source: The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro · 2007 ↗
Research context & identity
This profile covers laboratory hair-biology research. AHK-Cu appears in cosmetic-ingredient and research-chemical catalogs; neither listing shows that it regrows hair in people.
Source: The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro · 2007 ↗
What does the evidence show?
Selected published evidence, with the population, findings, and limits kept together. These original summaries draw on publication abstracts; they are not a systematic review.
Human tissue (ex vivo) and cell study · 2007
AHK-Cu in cultured human hair follicles and dermal papilla cells
What did this publication test, and what did it find?
- Population / model
- Human scalp hair follicles maintained in culture and cultured human dermal papilla cells.
- Study design
- Follicle-elongation measurements in organ culture, cell-proliferation assays, flow-cytometry apoptosis labeling, and protein markers (Bcl-2/Bax ratio, cleaved caspase-3 and PARP).
- Main finding
- Very low concentrations lengthened cultured follicles and increased dermal papilla cell growth. Protein markers pointed toward less apoptosis, although the drop in apoptotic cells itself was not statistically significant.
- Limits & context
- This was a single laboratory study using tissue and cells, not a clinical trial. It does not show hair regrowth in people, a useful product strength, or whether a topical product reaches the follicle.
Source: The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro · 2007 ↗
Read the original paper for methods, adverse events, funding, and conflicts of interest. Publisher access may require a subscription.
Search additional PubMed records ↗New editorial updates
New source discoveries
Links appear automatically. Unreviewed discoveries are not verified medical findings.
Safety & precautions
Safety & what remains unknown
No human safety data were reported. Copper complexes can irritate skin, and repeated use, contact allergy and product formulation were not studied.
Source: The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro · 2007 ↗
Evidence boundaries
This was a single laboratory study using tissue and cells, not a clinical trial. It does not show hair regrowth in people, a useful product strength, or whether a topical product reaches the follicle.
Source: The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro · 2007 ↗
This is not a complete list of contraindications, interactions, or adverse effects. Medicine labels apply to specific products and indications; research-use listings are not interchangeable with approved medicines.
What are people discussing?
No editorial transcript note has been reviewed for this profile yet. Below are the matching video records available for exploration; title and caption matches are not verified claims.
Watch the source discussions
0 matching video records · 0 with captions indexed.
Across the full library, 30 caption files are indexed from 20,199 inventoried videos. Most transcripts remain unreviewed. Select a thumbnail or timestamp to watch inside PepsRadar. Thumbnail images load from YouTube.
No matching video has been identified in the current snapshot.
Sources & supplier listings
Listings are grouped by the vendor’s stated identity. Blends and modified derivatives are labeled separately. Inclusion is not a quality assessment or an endorsement.
AHK-Cu (50 mg / 100 mg)
PSPeptides · Vendor-labeled research use only
$29.99–$45.99
Listed in stock · Snapshot 2026-10-05
Options may vary. Shipping and tax excluded.
Affiliate link · PepsRadar may earn a commission from purchases through this link. Affiliate disclosure.
Catalog checked 2026-10-04. Seller listings retain their stated intended use. Shops covered: BioLongevity Labs, BioLongevity Supplements, American Peptides, PSPeptides. This is not a market-wide comparison. Affiliate participation does not determine evidence or editorial coverage.
Questions worth asking
- Is AHK-Cu the same as GHK-Cu?
- What material, population, and route were actually studied?
- This was a single laboratory study using tissue and cells, not a clinical trial. It does not show hair regrowth in people, a useful product strength, or whether a topical product reaches the follicle.
- What adverse effects, uncertainty, and conflicts of interest does the original source report?
Frequently asked questions
Is AHK-Cu the same as GHK-Cu?
No. Both are copper complexes of short peptides, but the first amino acid differs (alanine versus glycine). Evidence for one does not automatically apply to the other.
Source: The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro · 2007 ↗
Does the publication verify a supplier’s product?
No. The tested material and a commercial listing need separate identity and batch checks. A research-use disclaimer does not establish clinical suitability.
Source: The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro · 2007 ↗
References & editorial record
Source notes checked 2026-10-04. Original PepsRadar summaries. Not reviewed by a medical professional. Topic grouping is editorial navigation, not a treatment recommendation. Video notes specify which excerpts were reviewed; no full transcripts are published.