Function
While GHK-Cu acts as a tissue-remodeling and wound-healing signal, enhancing skin regeneration, angiogenesis, and repair while reducing inflammation and oxidative damage in experimental models31383, Humanin exerts neuroprotective and cytoprotective effects in models of Alzheimer’s disease, ischemia, and metabolic stress, reducing apoptosis and improving cell survival7136141.
Mechanism
While GHK-Cu works as an endogenous tripeptide, Gly-His-Lys, that chelates Cu²⁺ and modulates gene expression, stimulating collagen, elastin, proteoglycan, and glycosaminoglycan synthesis while exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects31383, Humanin is a mitochondrial-derived 24-amino-acid peptide that protects cells against diverse apoptotic insults by interacting with cell-surface cytokine receptor complexes and intracellular targets, thereby activating pro-survival STAT3 and other pathways7136141.
Length and Sequence
GHK-Cu is 3 amino acids long, whereas Humanin is longer as it has a length of 24 amino acids. GHK-Cu is made up of a sequence of Glycine, Histidine, Lysine. Humanin is made up of a sequence of Methionine, Alanine, Proline, Arginine, Glycine, Phenylalanine, Serine, Cysteine, Leucine, Leucine, Leucine, Leucine, Leucine, Threonine, Serine, Glutamic acid, Isoleucine, Aspartic acid, Leucine, Proline, Valine, Lysine, Arginine, Arginine, Alanine.