AHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-3) Mechanism of Action
How AHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-3) works: receptor targets, signalling pathways, and molecular profile.
A Hair-Focused Cousin of GHK-Cu
AHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide (Ala-His-Lys complexed with Cu2+), structurally distinct from GHK-Cu despite the similar naming convention and shared copper-peptide category. Where GHK-Cu's research base is broad (skin remodeling, wound healing, collagen synthesis), AHK-Cu's research is more specifically oriented toward hair follicle and scalp effects.
Dermal Papilla and Growth Factor Signaling
Research on AHK-Cu centers on stimulation of dermal papilla cells — the signaling hub at the base of hair follicles that regulates the hair growth cycle — alongside collagen synthesis and general tissue-regeneration effects broadly similar in category to copper-peptide biology overall, driven by copper-dependent upregulation of growth factors and matrix remodeling.
References
- The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro · Pyo HK, Yoo HG, Won CH · 2007