This information is for the use of medical researchers and persons interested in health sciences. It must be emphasized that GHK and other copper binding peptides have not been tested on human emphysema and COPD and are not approved for such uses.
Emphysema and attendant lung disease is the 2rd leading cause of death in the world. It is a deadly and painful disease of the lungs that causes difficulty in breathing. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. Emphysema is most often caused by tobacco smoking and long-term exposure to air pollution. Emphysema is also a component of normal aging. As the lungs get older, the elastic properties decrease, and the tensions that develop can result in areas of emphysema.
In the study below, it was found that GHK, at a very low concentration (10 nanomolar) reversed the effects of emphysema on the genes of affected fibroblast cells from the patients. GHK shut down tissue destructive genes and increased genes that control wound repair and tissue remodeling.
Persons with severe emphysema use air inhalation systems that pump misty, water-filled air in and out of the lungs. Often steroids are added to the solution to suppress the lung inflammation, but while this provides short-term help, it also inhibits lung repair. In theory, GHK could be infused into the blood stream of patients to repair the lung tissue. In our wound healing studies we found that GHK-copper induced accelerated systemic healing through rats, mice , and pigs. Or it could be added to the misting solution or used in combination of a carrier like DMSO along with GHK in the misting solution. DMSO and GHK or GHK-copper always worked well together on wound healing.
The full article is available at no cost at www.genomemedicine.com/content/4/8/67.