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, SS-31 improves mitochondrial bioenergetics, reduces oxidative stress, and shows protective effects in models of ischemia-reperfusion, neurodegeneration, and other mitochondrial disorders4637137.
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, SS-31 is a mitochondria-targeted tetrapeptide, d-Arg-dimethylTyr-Lys-Phe-NH2, that selectively binds cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane, stabilizing cristae structure, improving electron transport, and reducing ROS production4637137143.
GHK-Cu
Not assigned in the current dataset.
SS-31
Not assigned in the current dataset.
The clearest overlap between GHK-Cu and SS-31 is that both converge around Signaling modulator. Both are often discussed in Aging and longevity contexts, while GHK-Cu is more of a signal peptide and Matrikine and SS-31 is better described as a mitochondrial peptide. Both appear to work through Signaling modulator, but the functional emphasis still separates, with GHK-Cu leaning toward Collagen and elastin stimulation and Tissue repair and healing and SS-31 leaning toward Mitochondrial function modulation and Neuroprotection and cognition. GHK-Cu has a more natural endogenous origin, while SS-31 is closer to synthetic design background and their development context also differs, with GHK-Cu cosmetic grade while SS-31 is in Clinical phase 2. SS-31 incorporates d-amino acid substitution and amidation features that are not part of GHK-Cu, while their sequence patterns also diverge, with GHK-Cu showing protein-mimetic sequence features and SS-31 showing cationic amphipathic features.