Acetyl tetrapeptide-5
is used in cosmetic eye formulations to decrease puffiness, eye bags, and dark circles by reducing edema and protecting proteins such as SOD from glycation
Alanine
Ala / A · hydrophobic residue · neutral charge
AOD-9604
is studied as an anti-obesity peptide that can reduce weight gain and increase fat oxidation in obese animal models with generally neutral effects on IGF-1 and glucose metabolism in early human trials
Arginine
Arg / R · basic residue · positive charge
Argireline
is a topical cosmetic peptide reported to decrease dynamic wrinkles by partially mimicking the mechanism of botulinum toxin in a non-invasive manner
Asparagine
Asn / N · polar residue · neutral charge
Aspartic acid
Asp / D · acidic residue · negative charge
BPC-157
is investigated for accelerating healing of gastrointestinal mucosa, tendons, ligaments, bone, and nervous tissue in preclinical models, with anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic effects
Comparison
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, MOTS-c improves insulin sensitivity, enhances glycolysis, reduces oxidative stress, and shows protective effects in models of metabolic syndrome, aging, and ischemia-reperfusion injury8135146.
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, MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide that translocates to the nucleus under metabolic stress and regulates glucose and lipid metabolism largely via activation of AMPK and modulation of mTOR and folate-cycle–linked pathways854140146.
GHK-Cu
Not assigned in the current dataset.
MOTS-c
MT-RNR1
The clearest overlap between GHK-Cu and MOTS-c is that both converge around Gene expression modulator. Both are often discussed in Aging and longevity contexts, while GHK-Cu is more of a signal peptide and Matrikine and MOTS-c is better described as a mitochondrial peptide and Metabolic peptide. Both appear to work through Gene expression modulator, but the functional emphasis still separates, with GHK-Cu leaning toward Collagen and elastin stimulation, Tissue repair and healing, and Antioxidant activity and MOTS-c leaning toward Mitochondrial function modulation and Metabolic regulation. GHK-Cu has a more natural endogenous origin, while MOTS-c is closer to mitochondrial-encoded background and their development context also differs, with GHK-Cu cosmetic grade while MOTS-c is in Preclinical development. Their sequence patterns also diverge, with GHK-Cu showing protein-mimetic sequence features and MOTS-c showing hydrophobic domain features.