TB-500 vs GHK-Cu
Side-by-side comparison of TB-500 and GHK-Cu: mechanism, half-life, dose range, safety profile, and vendor pricing.
Price snapshot
TB-500
GHK-Cu
TB-500
TB-500 is the name the market and the FDA use for a short synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4: the seven-amino-acid, N-acetylated actin-binding sequence Ac-LKKTETQ (residues 17 to 23). Thymosin beta-4 itself is a…
Lowest listed price: $29.00 across 8 listings
Full TB-500 profileGHK-Cu
GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a molecule Pickart and Thaler first pulled out of human plasma in 1973. The free peptide (GHK, C14H24N6O4) weighs about 340.4 Da; bind it 1:1…
Lowest listed price: $34.99 across 7 listings
Full GHK-Cu profileSide-by-side comparison
| Attribute | TB-500 | GHK-Cu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Injury, Repair & Recovery | Skin, Hair & Aesthetics |
| Research Stage | Preclinical | Approved/marketed as a topical cosmetic ingredient (Copper tripeptide-1) with supporting small human studies. Injectable use is preclinical/off-label, research-use-only, with no human clinical trials. |
| Mechanism of Action | Actin Sequestration and Cytoskeletal Dynamics The primary molecular function of thymosin beta-4 (and the synthetic peptide sold as TB-500) is binding to monomeric G-actin in a 1:1 complex, preventing its polymerization into F-actin filaments (PMID: 1627561).… | GHK-Cu works mostly as a copper shuttle and a signaling peptide. It binds Cu(II) with high affinity (log K around 16.4, close to albumin's 16.2) and can supply or regulate copper for copper-dependent enzymes like SOD1, lysyl oxidase, cytochrome c oxidase, and… |
| Half-Life | Plasma half-life is short - full-length thymosin beta-4 clears on the order of hours, while the short LKKTETQ actin-binding fragment clears within minutes. Tissue-level regenerative effects persist substantially longer than plasma exposure. | ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study) |
| Typical Dose Range | 2000-5000 mcg (2-5 mg) subcutaneous 2x weekly loading; 2000 mcg (2 mg) weekly maintenance | 200-500 mcg SC daily (community/RUO; no clinically established injectable dose) |
| Dosing Frequency | 2x per week during loading; 1x per week maintenance | Once daily subcutaneous; some run 5 days on / 2 days off. Topical: 1-2x daily to cleansed skin. |
| Administration | Subcutaneous, Intramuscular | Subcutaneous, Topical |
| Side Effects | Human safety is unknown: FDA's 2026 review found no clinical studies or human exposure data for TB-500 by any route. None of the effects that follow comes from a study. Occasional mild headache, nausea, or lethargy. Localized irritation at injection site.… | Topical GHK-Cu is generally well tolerated; higher-concentration formulations (4-5%) raise the odds of irritation, redness, or stinging. Injectable use has no safety data from controlled trials; the main theoretical concern is copper accumulation with repeated… |
| Molecular Weight | 889 Da (Ac-LKKTETQ); full-length thymosin beta-4 4963 Da | Free peptide (GHK): 340.38 Da (C14H24N6O4). Copper complex (GHK-Cu): 401.9 Da (C14H22CuN6O4, neutral 1:1 Cu(II) complex). |
| Common Vial Sizes | 2mg, 5mg, 10mg | 50 mg, 100 mg |
Price History
4 data points- OF
- BM
- Half Nattys
- Ion Peptide
- Disguised Alpha
Price History
4 data points- OF
- BM
- Half Nattys
- BHG Labs
TB-500: potential benefits
- Accelerated dermal wound healing through enhanced keratinocyte and fibroblast migration, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis, including in diabetic and aged models (PMID: 12581423)
- Cardioprotection and tissue repair after myocardial infarction via ILK/Akt survival signaling in preclinical models (PMID: 17600280)
- Anti-inflammatory effects via NF-kB suppression and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines (preclinical)
- Corneal wound healing and dry eye symptom improvement in topical ophthalmic (RGN-259) Phase 2 trials (PMID: 25826322)
- Enhanced hair follicle stem cell migration associated with hair growth (preclinical)
- Musculoskeletal recovery through collagen deposition and matrix remodeling (preclinical)
- Endothelial cell migration and vascular regeneration in ischemic tissues (preclinical)
GHK-Cu: potential benefits
- Stimulates type I collagen synthesis in human fibroblasts at low nanomolar-to-picomolar concentrations (PMID: 3169264)
- Increases glycosaminoglycans (dermatan/chondroitin sulfate) and upregulates decorin in wound models (PMID: 11121126)
- Modulates matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors, partially correcting the MMP-9/TIMP-1 imbalance in a smoke-induced emphysema model (PMID: 35936787)
- Drives tissue remodeling and chemoattracts macrophages, mast cells, and capillary cells to injury sites (PMID: 18644225)
- Modulates expression of ~4,000+ human genes via the Broad Institute Connectivity Map, including DNA-repair and antioxidant genes (PMID: 25302294)
- Increases stemness and proliferative potential of epidermal basal cells and keratinocytes (PMID: 23019153)
- Acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory copper regulator in the context of aging (PMID: 22666519)
- Broad skin-regeneration effects on collagen, proteoglycans, MMPs, and immune/endothelial cell recruitment (PMID: 26236730)
Frequently asked
What's the difference between TB-500 and GHK-Cu?
TB-500 is a injury, repair & recovery that actin sequestration and cytoskeletal dynamics the primary molecular function of thymosin beta-4 (and the synthetic peptide sold as tb-500) is binding to monomeric g-actin in a 1:1…. GHK-Cu is a skin, hair & aesthetics that ghk-cu works mostly as a copper shuttle and a signaling peptide. it binds cu(ii) with high affinity (log k around 16.4, close to albumin's 16.2) and can supply or regulate copper…. The two differ in mechanism, half-life (Plasma half-life is short - full-length thymosin beta-4 clears on the order of hours, while the short LKKTETQ actin-binding fragment clears within minutes. Tissue-level regenerative effects persist substantially longer than plasma exposure. vs ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study)), and typical dose range.
Which has the longer half-life, TB-500 or GHK-Cu?
TB-500 has a half-life of Plasma half-life is short - full-length thymosin beta-4 clears on the order of hours, while the short LKKTETQ actin-binding fragment clears within minutes. Tissue-level regenerative effects persist substantially longer than plasma exposure.. GHK-Cu has a half-life of ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study). Longer half-lives generally mean less frequent dosing but slower on/off kinetics.
Which is cheaper, TB-500 or GHK-Cu?
Lowest listed price on BodyHackGuide: TB-500 from $29.00, GHK-Cu from $34.99. Prices are pulled from the vendor listings tracked on BHG and change frequently. See the compare tables on each compound page for the current set of offers.
Can you stack TB-500 and GHK-Cu?
Stacking depends on mechanism overlap, safety profile, and goals. TB-500 and GHK-Cu should only be stacked after reviewing each compound's individual protocol page, side effect profile, and any published interaction data. Use the BodyHackGuide stack builder for a structured review before combining research compounds.
See current vendor prices
Listings from the vendors we track. Prices change often, so check the vendor before you buy.
Before you buy TB-500 or GHK-Cu
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Related comparisons
Research use only. BodyHackGuide is a research and price-comparison reference. The compounds discussed on this page are not approved by the FDA for human consumption and are sold strictly for laboratory research. Prices shown are pulled from vendor listings tracked on BHG and are subject to change. Every vendor is ranked on the same public, reproducible methodology. See editorial standards and affiliate disclosure.