AHK-Cu (Acetyl Tripeptide Copper) is a synthetic tripeptide — three amino acids: alanine, histidine, and lysine — bound to a copper ion. It is a research compound studied for its potential roles in hair follicle stimulation, skin repair, and vascularization. It is not approved as a medicine or supplement and is intended for laboratory research only.[2]

How does AHK-Cu work?

The peptide chain acts like a carrier, delivering copper directly to cells. The acetyl group on its end changes how tightly it holds the copper ion and affects its redox (electron-transfer) chemistry.[3] In hair and skin tissue, the complex is thought to activate growth signals in dermal papilla cells and fibroblasts, and to boost production of VEGF, a protein that encourages blood vessel growth.[2]

What is AHK-Cu used for in research?

Research has explored AHK-Cu for stimulating human hair follicle elongation, promoting dermal papilla cell proliferation, reducing programmed cell death (apoptosis) in those cells, encouraging skin fibroblast activity, elevating VEGF (a vascularization signal), and reducing TGF-β1, which is associated with scarring. All findings are from in vitro or ex vivo lab settings.[2]

How is AHK-Cu dosed in research?

Published cell and tissue studies have used very low concentrations — typically 10−12 to 10−9 molar (picomolar to nanomolar range).[2] There is no established human dosing protocol. Researchers should refer to the dosage chart on this page and use the calculator to convert concentrations for their specific experimental conditions.

How do you reconstitute AHK-Cu?

AHK-Cu powder is typically dissolved in sterile bacteriostatic water or a suitable research buffer. Add liquid slowly to the vial without vigorous shaking to protect the peptide structure. Store reconstituted solution at 2–8 °C for short-term use or freeze aliquots at −20 °C. Copper peptides can be sensitive to oxidation, so minimize air and light exposure during preparation.

AHK-Cu is a research-use-only compound, and no clinical safety data in humans has been published. The available lab studies focused on cell cultures and tissue models, not human subjects.[2] No conclusions about human safety can be drawn from this research. This page does not provide medical advice, and AHK-Cu should only be handled by qualified researchers following appropriate laboratory safety protocols.

AHK-Cu 20mg Vial Dosage Protocol | PeptideDosageCharts

Reconstitution and dosing for a 20mg vial of AHK-Cu — concentration by BAC-water volume, the units to draw on a U-100 syringe, and the cited dosing chart.

Goal	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Evidence	Source
Cited dosing data is being compiled for this compound.

BAC water	Concentration	Volume / dose	Units (U-100)
1 mL	20 mg/mL	—	—
2 mL	10 mg/mL	—	—
3 mL	6.67 mg/mL	—	—

What is AHK-Cu?

AHK-Cu stands for Alanine-Histidine-Lysine copper complex — a tiny three-amino-acid chain (a tripeptide) that carries a copper ion. Its full research name is Acetyl Tripeptide-1 Copper, sometimes written as AHK Copper or Acetyl Tripeptide Copper. The "acetyl" part simply means a small chemical group has been attached to one end of the peptide chain, which changes how the molecule grabs onto metals like copper.^[3]

Copper itself is an essential trace mineral your body uses in dozens of biological processes. When a peptide acts as a chaperone — carrying copper right to where cells need it — interesting things can happen at the tissue level. That's the core idea behind AHK-Cu research.

This compound is classified as a research-use-only peptide. It is not approved as a drug or supplement, and nothing on this page is medical advice.

How AHK-Cu Works

Think of AHK-Cu like a tiny copper-delivery truck. The three amino acids (Ala, His, Lys) form a cage around the copper ion, keeping it stable and bio-accessible. When the complex reaches cells, the copper can be released in a controlled way — influencing growth signals, blood vessel formation, and repair processes.

On a chemistry level, copper peptide complexes bind the metal ion through nitrogen and sulfur atoms in the peptide backbone.^[1] N-terminal acetylation — the "acetyl" tag on AHK-Cu — is known to shift how tightly a peptide holds copper and can alter its redox (electron-transfer) behavior.^[3] Redox simply means the molecule's ability to gain or lose electrons, which matters because many biological signals run on electron chemistry.

Inside skin and hair tissue, researchers believe AHK-Cu delivers copper to cells that regulate growth and repair — especially dermal papilla cells (DPCs), the specialized cells at the base of each hair follicle that act like a command center for hair growth.

What the Research Shows

The most directly relevant published study tested AHK-Cu on human hair follicles and dermal papilla cells in the lab. Researchers found that AHK-Cu at very low concentrations (10⁻¹² to 10⁻⁹ molar) stimulated elongation of human hair follicles in an ex vivo model (meaning follicles kept alive outside the body). It also promoted proliferation — or growth — of dermal papilla cells in culture.^[2]

The same study looked at cell survival. At 10⁻⁹ M, AHK-Cu appeared to reduce the proportion of apoptotic (dying) DPCs, though the reduction did not reach statistical significance. However, the researchers did observe a higher ratio of the survival protein Bcl-2 compared to the cell-death protein Bax, and lower levels of activated caspase-3 and PARP — both markers of programmed cell death. In plain English: the treated cells showed molecular signs of living longer.^[2]

Beyond hair, the same research group noted that the tripeptide-copper complex acts as a growth factor for various differentiated cells, stimulates proliferation of dermal fibroblasts (the main repair cells in skin), elevates production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) — a protein that encourages blood vessel formation — and reduces transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1), which is linked to scarring.^[2]

On the chemistry side, studies of acetylated copper peptides confirm that N-terminal acetylation creates a distinct copper-binding mode compared to non-acetylated versions, affecting the molecule's electrochemical behavior and stability.^[3] Copper's ability to form stable complexes with tripeptide ligand sets has also been characterized in inorganic chemistry research, confirming that the metal binds tightly but can still exchange with biological sites.^[1]

What AHK-Cu Is Being Studied For

Hair follicle growth: Stimulating elongation of hair shafts and survival of dermal papilla cells.^[2]
Follicle vascularization: Boosting VEGF production to improve blood supply around hair follicles.^[2]
Skin repair: Promoting fibroblast activity and potentially reducing scar-forming TGF-β1 signaling.^[2]
Anti-apoptotic effects: Protecting key cells from programmed death through Bcl-2/Bax pathway modulation.^[2]

How AHK-Cu Is Dosed in Research

Because AHK-Cu is studied at extremely low concentrations — often in the picomolar-to-nanomolar range in cell culture (10⁻¹² to 10⁻⁹ M)^[2] — precise measurement is critical. There is no established human dosing protocol. For detailed reference concentrations used in published research, see the dosage chart on this page, and use the calculator to convert between molar concentrations and mass amounts for your specific research setup.

Mixing and Storing AHK-Cu

AHK-Cu is typically supplied as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder. To reconstitute it, researchers generally add sterile bacteriostatic water or the appropriate buffer to the vial slowly, letting the powder dissolve without vigorous shaking — shaking can degrade peptides. Because copper peptides are sensitive to oxidation, it is best to work quickly, minimize exposure to air and light, and store reconstituted solutions at 2–8 °C (standard refrigerator temperature) for short-term use or freeze aliquots at −20 °C for longer storage. Always check the supplier's certificate of analysis for purity and handle with standard lab precautions. This is a research compound — not for human administration.

Sources

Chemical issues addressing the construction of the distal Ni[cysteine-glycine-cysteine]2- site of acetyl CoA synthase: why not copper? — Inorganic chemistry, 2009. PMID 19253985.
The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro. — Archives of pharmacal research, 2007. PMID 17703734.
Influence of the N-terminus acetylation of Semax, a synthetic analog of ACTH(4-10), on copper(II) and zinc(II) coordination and biological properties. — Journal of inorganic biochemistry, 2016. PMID 27586814.
Improving dipolar recoupling for site-specific structural and dynamics studies in biosolids NMR: windowed RN-symmetry sequences. — Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP, 2016. PMID 26776070.
Electrochemical detection of dipeptides and dipeptide amides. — Journal of chromatography, 1990. PMID 2283371.
Non-zwitterionic structures of aliphatic-only peptides mediated the formation and dissociation of gas phase radical cations. — Journal of mass spectrometry : JMS, 2006. PMID 16770832.

Storage & handling

Lyophilized (freeze-dried) peptide is typically kept refrigerated and protected from light; once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water it is generally refrigerated at 2–8 °C and used within a few weeks. Follow aseptic technique to avoid contamination, per CDC injection-safety guidance.

Injection technique

Subcutaneous injections are usually given into the fat of the abdomen or thigh: clean the site with an alcohol swab, pinch the skin, insert at the recommended angle, and rotate sites to protect the tissue. See MedlinePlus for a step-by-step subcutaneous-injection guide.

General aseptic-technique and injection references for educational use — they are not specific to any research compound.