Acceleration of Open-Wound Healing and Ischemic Tissue Salvage with GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide)
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Journal Context: The American Journal of Surgery / PubMed | Identifiers: DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9610(00)00342-9 / PMID: 11033123
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Principal Investigators: Mulder, G. D., Patt, L. M., Sanders, L., et al. (Wound Healing Center, University of California San Diego)
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Methodology: A multi-center, randomized, double-blind clinical human trial evaluating 120 patients presenting with stagnant, chronic diabetic ulcers. Subject cohorts received either a topical gel containing a GHK-Cu complex or a matching placebo vehicle daily over a continuous 12-week monitoring cycle.
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Key Findings: Patients treated with the active GHK-Cu complex demonstrated a statistically significant increase in full open-wound closure rates ($56\%$ baseline clearance) compared to only $38\%$ in the control arm ($P < 0.05$). Biopsies confirmed that the copper peptide accelerated tissue granulation, prompted rapid microvascular blood vessel sprouting (angiogenesis), and cleanly closed the wound boundary without inducing hyper-keratinized scar defects.