GHK-Cu vs BPC-157
Side-by-side literature comparison of a copper-coordinated tripeptide (GHK-Cu) and a pentadecapeptide (BPC-157) at the sequence, structure, and published research-context level.
Side-by-Side Attributes
Objective data pulled from the published peptide literature. For research context only — not efficacy or performance claims.
| Attribute | GHK-Cu | BPC-157 |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Copper-coordinated tripeptide | Pentadecapeptide (15-mer) |
| Sequence | Gly-His-Lys · Cu(II) complex | Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val |
| Length | 3 amino acids | 15 amino acids |
| Molecular Weight | ~403 Da (Cu(II) complex); 340.4 Da (free peptide) | 1419.54 Da |
| Metal coordination | Cu(II) coordinated via His imidazole + backbone | None |
| Origin | Isolated from human plasma | Fragment of gastric juice BPC (Body Protective Compound) |
| First described | Pickart lab, mid-1970s | Zagreb group (Sikiric et al.), 1991 |
| Primary literature target | Copper-binding metallopeptide chemistry; dermal fibroblast studies | Nitric oxide (NO) pathway signalling; not receptor-defined |
| Presentation | Blue lyophilized powder (Cu(II) tint) | White lyophilized powder |
| Synthesis complexity | Fmoc SPPS + copper complexation under controlled pH | Straightforward Fmoc SPPS (short linear) |
| Endotoxin release spec (BioInfinity) | < 0.5 EU/mg by LAL | < 0.5 EU/mg by LAL |
| Third-party COA lab (BioInfinity) | Verum Analytics, Switzerland (+ ICP-OES for Cu content) | Verum Analytics, Switzerland |
Literature Context
GHK-Cu and BPC-157 are frequently co-cited in the wound-model and fibroblast in-vitro research literature but engage fundamentally different chemistry. GHK-Cu is a copper-coordinated metallopeptide — the biologically referenced activity in the published dermatology and collagen-synthesis corpus depends on the Cu(II) coordination via the histidine imidazole nitrogen and the peptide backbone. BPC-157 has no metal coordination and is investigated in the literature primarily via nitric-oxide signalling and angiogenesis-related pathways.
From a size and synthesis standpoint the two compounds are quite different: GHK-Cu is a short tripeptide (340 Da free peptide, ~403 Da as the copper complex) with an additional copper-loading step during synthesis, while BPC-157 is a 15-amino-acid linear peptide (1420 Da) produced by standard Fmoc SPPS without any metal-loading step.
Both peptides appear extensively in the fibroblast, ECM remodelling, and wound-model in-vitro literature. Neither is FDA-approved for any therapeutic indication; both are supplied by BioInfinity strictly for laboratory research.
Research Contexts in the Literature
Overlapping
- Dermal fibroblast proliferation assays
- Wound-model in-vitro scratch closure
- Angiogenesis / endothelial-related literature
- Collagen and ECM remodelling studies
GHK-Cu only
- Copper-binding metallopeptide chemistry
- Cu(II) coordination stoichiometry (ICP-OES)
- SOD-mimic redox assays
- Hair-follicle stem-cell literature
- Peptide-metal complex stability studies
BPC-157 only
- Gut epithelial barrier / TEER integrity studies
- Nitric-oxide pathway signalling research
- Growth-hormone / IGF-1 axis expression studies
- Dopaminergic signalling preclinical models
- Gastric fluid stability literature
All products supplied by BioInfinity are for in-vitro laboratory research use only. Not FDA-approved. Not intended for human or veterinary use. This page is a literature summary — not medical, dosing, or usage guidance.