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Molecular Weight
Purity
Storage
Appearance
Solubility
01
GHK-Cu + KPV is a two-component research blend containing GHK-Cu (50 mg), the copper(II) complex of the tripeptide Gly-His-Lys, and KPV (20 mg), the Lys-Pro-Val tripeptide from the C-terminus of α-MSH, in a single 70 mg lyophilized material.
Both components are small (about 400 and 340 g/mol), but they behave very differently: GHK-Cu carries a coloured, redox-active copper centre, while KPV has no metal and no oxidation-prone residues. This makes the blend a useful sample for developing methods for small polar peptides and metallopeptides, and a simple copper-containing matrix for comparison with KLOW and GLOW. It is supplied as a reference material for in vitro and analytical research only.
02
The two components are close in size but chemically distinct.
GHK-Cu (50 mg)
Gly-His-Lys bound to copper(II), C₁₄H₂₂CuN₆O₄, 401.9 g/mol. Copper is held by the N-terminal amine, the deprotonated Gly–His backbone nitrogen and the histidine imidazole, giving a blue colour with a weak visible absorbance band near 600 nm.
KPV (20 mg)
Lys-Pro-Val, C₁₆H₃₀N₄O₄, 342.4 g/mol. Small and polar, with no aromatic, sulfur-containing or other easily oxidised residues. Its Lys-Pro N-terminus can cyclise to a diketopiperazine and is a substrate for DPP-IV.
Molar amounts
Per 70 mg vial this corresponds to about 124 µmol GHK-Cu and 58 µmol KPV, a molar ratio of roughly 2.1 : 1.
Copper content
A pure 1:1 complex would contain about 7.9 mg copper per 50 mg GHK-Cu. Measured values are usually lower because the material also contains counter-ions and water.
03
Research interest in the blend focuses on analytical and stability behaviour.
A simple copper matrix
Because KPV has no methionine, cysteine or aromatic residues, it is largely insensitive to copper-catalysed oxidation. The blend therefore acts as a copper-containing control matrix when studying oxidation in more complex blends such as KLOW and GLOW, where TB-500’s methionine is at risk.
Copper retention
Whether GHK-Cu keeps its copper after drying and reconstitution can be followed by the visible band and by copper-specific analysis.
Component research
Both peptides have been studied separately in cell models of inflammatory signalling; their individual backgrounds are described on their own reference pages. No claims are made for the combination.
04
Small polar peptide HPLC
Separating two early-eluting tripeptides, one of them a metal complex, in one run.
Orthogonal detection
214 nm for both peptides, around 600 nm selectively for the copper complex, and ICP-MS or atomic absorption for copper.
Ratio verification
Quantifying each component against its own standard, with copper analysis as an independent check on the GHK-Cu amount.
Comparative stability
Forced-degradation studies alongside KLOW and GLOW to isolate the effect of copper on other components.
05
Storage
Store the sealed vial at −20 °C, desiccated and protected from light. Let it reach room temperature before opening.
Choosing pH
Below about pH 4–5 GHK-Cu begins to lose copper, and strongly basic conditions favour copper hydroxide formation. KPV forms a diketopiperazine faster at neutral to basic pH. A pH of about 6–7, kept cold, with prompt use is the practical compromise.
Buffers
Use non-coordinating buffers such as MES or HEPES where copper chemistry matters; phosphate can interact with copper. Avoid EDTA and other chelators, and reducing agents, which strip or reduce the copper.
Light
Copper–peptide complexes are photo-active; minimise light exposure.
Labware
Use low-binding polypropylene tubes and avoid metal tools in contact with solutions. Freeze single-use aliquots and limit freeze–thaw cycles.
06
Each component is identified and quantified separately.
HPLC
Both components elute early on reversed-phase C18; start at very low organic content with a shallow initial gradient, or use HILIC. Detect at 214 nm, with 205–210 nm improving KPV sensitivity. Acidic TFA mobile phases can partly dissociate GHK-Cu, so free GHK may appear; a more hydrophobic ion-pairing agent such as HFBA can improve retention.
Mass spectrometry
KPV gives [M+H]⁺ at m/z 343.2. GHK-Cu gives a copper doublet at m/z 402.1 (⁶³Cu) and 404.1 (⁶⁵Cu) in about a 69:31 ratio, which confirms bound copper.
Visible absorbance
The copper band near 600 nm is weak but selective; its loss indicates copper release.
Copper analysis
ICP-MS or atomic absorption measures total copper independently of the peptide, giving an orthogonal check on the GHK-Cu content.
Impurity profile
Free GHK, cyclo(Lys-Pro) and valine from KPV, truncated sequences and counter-ion content. Acceptance limits for component amounts are set in the lot specification.
07
Two: GHK-Cu (50 mg), the copper complex of Gly-His-Lys, and KPV (20 mg), the tripeptide Lys-Pro-Val, giving 70 mg per vial.
KLOW contains GHK-Cu and KPV plus BPC-157 and TB-500. This blend has only the two tripeptides, so it lacks TB-500’s oxidation-prone methionine and is a simpler copper-containing matrix.
It is a formulation choice. In molar terms it gives about 124 µmol GHK-Cu to 58 µmol KPV, roughly a 2.1 : 1 ratio, because the two molecules have similar weights.
Store at −20 °C, desiccated and protected from light. Reconstitute in water or a non-coordinating buffer such as MES or HEPES at about pH 6–7, avoid EDTA and reducing agents, keep the solution cold and use it promptly.
Reversed-phase HPLC with a low starting organic content (or HILIC) at 205–214 nm, LC-MS for identity including the copper doublet at m/z 402.1/404.1, visible absorbance near 600 nm for the copper complex, and ICP-MS or atomic absorption for total copper.
Very little. KPV has no methionine, cysteine or aromatic residues, the usual targets of metal-catalysed oxidation. Its main degradation route is diketopiperazine formation, which is unrelated to copper.
No. It is supplied strictly as a reference material for laboratory and analytical research and is not for human or animal use.
GHK-Cu + KPV Blend Research Reference. (2026). Pure Peptides Labs Research Catalogue. Retrieved from https://purepeptideslabs.net/research-catalogue/proprietary-research-blends/ghk-cu-kpv-blend/
Materials listed on this platform are supported by independent testing and published documentation for laboratory research contexts.
