Human study PLS-00031

Enhanced healing of ulcers in patients with diabetes by topical treatment with glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine copper.

Randomized controlled trial · Not reported participants enrolled

Version 1 · published November 7, 2026 · evidence through November 7, 2026 · research snapshot 2026.1.1 · methodology ev-1 · Automated assessment by AI (claude-opus-5-5 and claude-sonnet-5-5), not reviewed by a person.

Only the abstract was available. Essential methods may be missing, which limits what can be judged.

Reports of this study

Every publication, registration and abstract describing this one study. Participants are counted once.

Enhanced healing of ulcers in patients with diabetes by topical treatment with glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine copper.primary · Wound repair and regeneration : official publication of the Wound Healing Society [and] the European Tissue Repair Society · 1994-10-01 · PMID 17147644 · DOI

Design and participants

Design: Randomized controlled trial
Population: Patients with diabetes and neuropathic (plantar) foot ulcers. All received a standardized wound care protocol: sharp debridement at entry, pressure-relieving footwear and patient education.
Conditions: Diabetic neuropathic foot ulcer
Setting: Multicenter clinical study
Planned enrollment (registry): Not reported
Enrolled: Not reported
Randomized: Not reported
Completed follow-up: Not reported

Intervention and comparator

What each group received. Related peptides, analogs and combinations are never treated as the compound itself.

GHK-Cu gel (Iamin Gel) (intervention) · ghk-cu · Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper complex in a topical gel, applied daily as a metered dose alongside standardized wound care. · topical · Not reported assigned
Vehicle gel (comparator) · Vehicle gel alongside the same standardized wound care protocol. · placebo · topical · Not reported assigned

What the authors reported

As stated in the sources. This is the authors’ account, not Peptide Library’s assessment.

Percentage area closure of plantar ulcers

unclear outcome · surrogate · Median percentage reduction in ulcer area

GHK-Cu gel (Iamin Gel) vs Vehicle gel: median 98.5 — Median area closure 98.5% with GHK-Cu gel vs 60.8% with vehicle, p<0.05
Vehicle gel: median 60.8 — Median area closure 60.8% with vehicle

Proportion of patients healing 98% or better

unclear outcome · patient-important · Proportion of patients with at least 98% ulcer closure

GHK-Cu gel (Iamin Gel) vs Vehicle gel: narrative — GHK-Cu gel significantly increased the proportion healing 98% or better

Rate of ulcer closure

unclear outcome · surrogate · Rate of wound closure

GHK-Cu gel (Iamin Gel) vs Vehicle gel: narrative — Closure rate described as three times faster than standard care and vehicle

Percentage area closure in larger plantar ulcers (>100 mm2 at entry)

unclear outcome · surrogate · Median percentage area closure in the subgroup with larger initial ulcer area

GHK-Cu gel (Iamin Gel) vs Vehicle gel: median 89.2 — Median closure 89.2% with GHK-Cu gel vs -10.3% with vehicle in larger ulcers, p<0.01
Vehicle gel: median -10.3 — Median closure -10.3% with vehicle in larger ulcers

Incidence of ulcer infection

unclear outcome · patient-important · Proportion of plantar ulcers that became infected, among ulcers treated immediately after debridement

GHK-Cu gel (Iamin Gel) vs Vehicle gel: proportion 7 — Infection incidence 7% with GHK-Cu gel vs 34% with vehicle, p<0.05
Vehicle gel: proportion 34 — Infection incidence 34% with vehicle

Adverse events

Ulcer infection · GHK-Cu gel (Iamin Gel): Not reported participants
Ulcer infection · Vehicle gel: Not reported participants

Monitoring: The study aimed to evaluate safety, but the abstract reports no adverse event monitoring methods or general adverse event data apart from ulcer infection incidence.

The authors concluded (paraphrased): Topical GHK-Cu gel added to standardized care improved closure of diabetic plantar ulcers versus vehicle, especially larger ulcers, and lowered infection rates. Treatment should start immediately after debridement.

Peptide Library’s assessment

An automated assessment, made by AI separately from the authors’ conclusions and not reviewed by a person. How risk of bias is assessed.

Limitations

abstract only: Only the abstract is available, so sample size, randomization methods, dropouts and adverse event details cannot be assessed.
selective reporting: Key benefits are reported in subgroups (ulcers >100 mm2; ulcers treated immediately after debridement), suggesting possible post hoc analyses.
small or imprecise: No sample sizes, confidence intervals or exact p-values are reported; only thresholds such as p<0.05 are given.
other: General adverse events and tolerability are not reported despite the stated safety objective.
funding or conflicts: Funding and conflicts of interest are not stated. The product is a branded gel (lamin Gel), so industry involvement is possible.
inappropriate population: Only patients with diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers were studied. They differ from adults with photoaged skin.

Percentage area closure of plantar ulcers: Some concerns (Cochrane RoB 2)