The mechanisms of wound healing and tissue repair in humans are often impaired in the elderly, in cancer patients after chemotherapy and radiation treatments, in persons with diabetes or poorly-healing fistulas, and after severe burns. GHL-Cu (glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine:copper(II)) is a growth factor present in human blood that appears to function as a wound-healing and anti-trauma hormone. GHL-Cu accelerates the healing of wounds in rats, mice, and pigs; possesses anti-inflammatory activities; and induces new blood vessel growth. In vitro, GHL-Cu is a chemoattractant for cells essential in healing such as mast and endothelial cells; induces axonal and dendrite outgrowth from neurons; inhibits platelet aggregation and production of thromboxane. GHL-Cu displays significant superoxide dismutase activity, a biochemical activity linked with anti-trauma and tissue-protective effects. We propose to determine (1) the optimal dosage of GHL-Cu and treatment schedules to enhance wound healing, (2) the effect of GHL-Cu co-applied with wound coverage creams, (3) with dimethylsulfoxide, (4) the retention of radioactive GHL-Cu in treated wounds, and (5) the effect on wound healing of two bioactive GHL-Cu analogs, n-octyl ester glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine:copper(II) and glycyl-l-histidyl-l-cadavarine:copper (II). This work may lead to the development of a new class of pharmaceuticals for the acceleration of wound healing.
