title: GHK and DNA: resetting the human genome to health.
abstract: During human aging there is an increase in the activity of inflammatory, cancer promoting, and tissue destructive genes plus a decrease in the activity of regenerative and reparative genes. The human blood tripeptide GHK possesses many positive effects but declines with age. It improves wound healing and tissue regeneration (skin, hair follicles, stomach and intestinal linings, and boney tissue), increases collagen and glycosaminoglycans, stimulates synthesis of decorin, increases angiogenesis, and nerve outgrowth, possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and increases cellular stemness and the secretion of trophic factors by mesenchymal stem cells. Recently, GHK has been found to reset genes of diseased cells from patients with cancer or COPD to a more healthy state. Cancer cells reset their programmed cell death system while COPD patients' cells shut down tissue destructive genes and stimulate repair and remodeling activities. In this paper, we discuss GHK's effect on genes that suppress fibrinogen synthesis, the insulin/insulin-like system, and cancer growth plus activation of genes that increase the ubiquitin-proteasome system, DNA repair, antioxidant systems, and healing by the TGF beta superfamily. A variety of methods and dosages to effectively use GHK to reset genes to a healthier state are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Skin Biology, Research & Development Department, 4122 Factoria Boulevard SE, Suite No. 200, Bellevue, WA 98006, USA.
authors.forename: Loren
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8759-167X
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pickart
authors.affiliation: Skin Biology, Research & Development Department, 4122 Factoria Boulevard SE, Suite No. 200, Bellevue, WA 98006, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica Michelle
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vasquez-Soltero
authors.affiliation: Skin Biology, Research & Development Department, 4122 Factoria Boulevard SE, Suite No. 200, Bellevue, WA 98006, USA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4243-4686
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Margolina
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015894:Genome, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000235:genetics*; D020543:Proteome / Q000235:genetics*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D020543:Proteome; C020905:glycyl-histidyl-lysine; D004247:DNA