Self-Assembled Fluorescent and Antibacterial GHK-Cu Nanoparticles for Wound Healing Applications

Abstract

GHK-Cu is demonstrated with the abilities to improve wound healing, accelerate anti-inflammatory activity, and repair DNA damage. However, the instability of the GHK-Cu in biological fluids is always a big challenge for its long-term and efficient function at the target site. Therefore, the self-assembled GHK-Cu nanoparticles (GHK-Cu NPs) are investigated in this work to solve the instability issue. The crystalline nanostructure within the GHK-Cu nanoparticles offers them visible and near-infrared fluorescent properties. With the excellent self-assembly performance, the antibacterial properties of GHK-Cu NPs are demonstrated using E. coli and S. aureus. The L929 dermal fibroblast cells are utilized to prove the good biocompatibility and enhanced wound healing applications of GHK-Cu NPs. This study could pave the way for the design and elaboration of a new class of fluorescent peptides with various biological functions in biomedical applications.