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prezatide copper acetate (GHK:Cu / vulnerary, ProCyte / Iamin Hydrating Gel)

✓ Approved

ProCyte · Small Molecule · Small Molecule

What is prezatide copper acetate?

prezatide copper acetate is a small molecule developed by ProCyte. It is approved for therapeutic indications via topical.

Drug Profile

Brand NamesGHK:Cu, vulnerary, ProCyte, Iamin Hydrating Gel
CompanyProCyte
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
RouteTopical
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, ProCyte

Therapeutic Indications

prezatide copper acetate is developed for 4 unique indications across 3 therapeutic areas.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disordersDecubitus ulcer✓ Approved
General disorders and administration site conditionsImpaired healing✓ Approved
Injury, poisoning and procedural complicationsThermal burn✓ Approved
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disordersDiabetic foot✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedISME communications2026-07-17

Copper availability controls niche differentiation between comammox Nitrospira and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria.

Koike Kazuyoshi K, Smith Garrett J GJ, Okuda Nao N, Konno Ryoma R et al.

The biological oxidation of ammonia, the first step of nitrification, is central to biological water purification processes for nitrogen removal. For drinking water treatment, particularly sourced from groundwater, low concentrations of available copper often limit the efficiency of nitrification. Copper dosing both enhances nitrification and affects the composition of the nitrifying microbial community. The mechanisms underlying the effect of copper on nitrifying community composition, ammonia oxidation, and subsequent nitrogen removal processes remain unknown. The objective of this study was to confirm the effects of copper availability on the relative abundance of complete (comammox) and canonical ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in nitrifying communities within the drinking water treatment plant and to determine differences in their copper transport mechanisms. Comparative metagenomic analysis revealed that, unlike most AOB, many comammox Nitrospira encode PcoB/CopB-type high-affinity copper uptake systems, indicating that they are more competitive in low-copper environments. This niche adaptation was confirmed in laboratory-scale bioreactors, which showed that comammox Nitrospira became dominant under copper-limited conditions, while AOB dominated at high copper concentrations. Furthermore, specific detection of comammox amoA mRNA by catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescent in situ hybridization confirmed that the transcriptional activity of comammox Nitrospira was higher compared to AOB under copper limitation. Thus, these results suggest that copper availability may play an important role in shaping the dominant ammonia-oxidizing bacterial guild, with potential implications for engineered water treatment processes.

PMID 42465060
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PubMedJournal for immunotherapy of cancer2026-07-17

Blautia coccoides-derived acetate potentiates anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in melanoma by activating cytotoxic CD8+ T cells.

Zhang Zhiwen Z, Liang Xiaofeng X, Tian Yuyang Y, Li Chengyi C et al.

Gut microbiota can modulate cancer immunotherapy and enhance the efficacy of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade in tumors, yet the responsible microbes and underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Publicly available anti-PD-1-treated melanoma microbiome cohorts were reanalyzed. Causal validation was performed using oral Blautia coccoides (B. coccoides) supplementation in B16-F10 melanoma-bearing mice. Untargeted and targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, CD8+ T-cell depletion, receptor identification and binding analyses, and downstream transcriptomic and biochemical assays were used to identify the key metabolite and investigate its mechanism of action. We identified Blautia as enriched in melanoma patients responding to immune checkpoint inhibitors, with higher abundance associated with non-progression. In melanoma-bearing mice, oral B. coccoides suppressed tumor growth and increased intratumoral effector CD8+ T cells. Metabolomic profiling identified acetate as a prominent B. coccoides-associated metabolite. Acetate enhanced CD8+ T-cell effector function. CD8+ T-cell depletion largely abrogated the antitumor effects of both B. coccoides and acetate, supporting a central role for CD8+ T cells. Mechanistically, these findings support a model in which acetate is associated with a TLR3-linked signaling pathway in CD8+ T cells, accompanied by PI3K/Akt activation and enhanced effector function. Notably, B. coccoides or acetate potentiated anti-PD-1 therapy in mouse melanoma models, supporting their potential as adjunctive strategies for melanoma immunotherapy. These findings support a model of an acetate-TLR3-linked PI3K/Akt signaling axis linking microbiota-associated metabolites to CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Importantly, our study highlights both B. coccoides and its derivative, acetate, as preclinical adjunctive candidates to potentiate anti-PD-1 efficacy in melanoma.

PMID 42463281
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PubMedActa crystallographica. Section D, Structural biology2026-07-17

Experimental estimation of copper-site geometry reproducibility in biologically relevant redox and saccharide-bound states of a model lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase.

Huang Zhiyu Z, Wei Qiuyi Q, Nan Jie J, Nørholm Morten H H MHH et al.

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are copper-dependent enzymes classified into the auxiliary activity (AA) families of the CAZy database. They oxidatively cleave glycosidic bonds in recalcitrant polysaccharides, playing a key role in biomass degradation and contributing to the virulence of some pathogens. The redox state of the active-site copper and its coordination geometry are central to LPMO catalysis, yet the subtle structural consequences of redox and substrate-binding transitions remain insufficiently resolved. In previous work, a comparative X-ray crystallographic analysis of a model AA9 LPMO (LsAA9A) was conducted under four distinct conditions at 100 K: Cu(II), Cu(I) and the corresponding saccharide-bound states, with the Cu(I) state generated by X-ray photoreduction. In this study, LsAA9A crystals were chemically reduced with or without saccharide substrate prior to low-dose X-ray data collection to minimize radiation damage. Copper-coordination distances and angles were determined precisely through triplicate structure determinations (each from an independent crystal) for each condition, revealing small but reproducible geometry differences across key states in the LPMO catalytic pathway. In order to identify the most significant differences, statistical evaluation using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Tukey-Kramer post hoc tests and pairwise t-tests, was carried out. Within the assumptions made, statistically significant differences in the coordinated Cu-His1 Nδ1 and Cu-Tyr Oη distances, and in the coordination angles θ2, θ3 and θT, are observed across the four states and are discussed in terms of the mechanism and in relation to our previous study. To complement cryogenic data, multi-crystal data sets at increasing X-ray dose were collected at room temperature to track photoreduction of the copper site, with the specific aim of detecting the transition of Cu(II) to fully reduced Cu(I). This could not finally be achieved due to the onset of global radiation damage; however, a subset of the reduction-linked geometric changes were detectable, indicating that a partial transition may have occurred.

PMID 42466526
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PubMedBiological trace element research2026-07-17

Metal(loid) Occurrence, Possible Source Patterns, and Screening-Level Human Health Risk in Dried Fish from Thailand.

Takolpuckdee Pannraphat P, Boonwittaya Wattanee W, Tangkan Somkid S

Metal(loid)s are contaminants frequently detected in processed foods. This study investigated contamination of metal(loid)s, including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, and zinc, in 8 types of dried fish obtained from major distribution sources supplying products nationwide in Thailand. In addition, relationships among metal(loid)s were examined to interpret possible source patterns. A screening-level health risk assessment was conducted using deterministic methods based on United States Environmental Protection Agency methodology and probabilistic approaches employing Monte Carlo simulation. Maximum allowable ingestion rates for populations in 9 regions of Thailand were also estimated. The mean concentrations of metal(loid)s followed the order: copper > zinc > nickel > manganese > arsenic > chromium > cadmium. Arsenic, copper, and manganese exceeded selected reference standards. Statistical analysis suggested that contamination may be associated with aquatic environments and processing practices. Deterministic risk assessment based on Hazard Index and Total Carcinogenic Risk indicated that all population groups were estimated to exceed acceptable thresholds for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects at the screening level. In several regions, consumption rates exceeded maximum allowable ingestion levels, potentially increasing health risks, particularly for arsenic, copper, chromium, and nickel under conservative assumptions. Probabilistic assessment showed that high-exposure estimates represented by the 95th percentile were likely to exceed acceptable thresholds for both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects across all regions. These findings highlight the need for coordinated risk mitigation strategies across the dried fish production chain to reduce potential dietary exposure to metal(loid)s and support food safety management.

PMID 42467165
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PubMedInorganic chemistry2026-07-17

Electronic Structure Tailoring of Copper by Oxygen-Enriched Carbon Dots Enables Nitrate-to-Ammonia Electrosynthesis via *NO2 Decoupling.

Liu Yunliang Y, Dong Ruixi R, Liu Yixian Y, Yu Jingwen J et al.

The electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NITRR) represents a sustainable strategy for ambient ammonia synthesis. However, copper-based catalysts often suffer from excessive adsorption of the *NO2 intermediate due to the high electron density on the Cu surface, resulting in active-site poisoning and sluggish reaction kinetics. Achieving an optimal balance between *NO2 adsorption and activation remains a major challenge for efficient nitrate reduction. Herein, we design a NITRR electrocatalyst consisting of oxygen-enriched carbon dots (CDs) and a carbon layer encapsulating copper nanoparticles (CuCECDs). Benefiting from the optimized decoupling of *NO2, the catalyst achieves an outstanding ammonia yield rate of 2.5 mol. gcat-1 h-1 with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 85% at -0.5 V versus RHE. Combined experimental and theoretical studies demonstrate that the oxygen-enriched carbon dots effectively regulate the electronic structure of Cu, weakening the excessive adsorption of *NO2 while confining its subsequent conversion within the carbon layer, thereby promoting efficient *NO2 transformation (*NO2 decoupling). Moreover, the carbon shell induces lattice strain in the Cu nanoparticles (Cu NPs), facilitating water dissociation and hydrogen generation, which further enhances ammonia electrosynthesis performance.

PMID 42467471
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PubMedFrontiers in medicine2026-07-17

Identification of key vaginal microbial signatures and immune remodeling associated with HR-HPV clearance following Kushen Gel treatment: a longitudinal analysis.

Wang Ying Y, Pan Shuheng S, Zhang Fengying F, Ma Huimin H et al.

Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection drives cervical carcinogenesis, often exacerbated by vaginal dysbiosis and localized immune dysfunction. Kushen Gel shows clinical promise, yet its impact on microbial-immune crosstalk during HR-HPV clearance remains unclear. This study elucidates the microbial remodeling and immune shifts associated with Kushen Gel-mediated HR-HPV regression. A retrospective analysis of 230 vaginal swabs (130 pre-treatment, 100 post-treatment) via 16S rRNA sequencing characterized community structural shifts. Subsequently, a prospective cohort of 35 patients with persistent HR-HPV infection (defined as laboratory-confirmed positive HR-HPV DNA for ≥12 months) validated clinical outcomes (HR-HPV clearance, vaginal pH, Nugent scores) alongside paired 16S rRNA sequencing and ELISA-based quantification of cervicovaginal cytokines (IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ). Kushen Gel intervention significantly decreased microbial alpha diversity and was associated with a distinct beta-diversity shift toward a stable, Lactobacillus-dominant state. Models (LEfSe, Random Forest) identified a marked reduction in pathobionts (Gardnerella, Sneathia, Prevotella) post-treatment. In the prospective cohort, the HR-HPV clearance rate reached 82.9% (29/35) after three menstrual cycles, synchronized with significant reductions in mean vaginal pH (4.85 ± 0.42 to 4.12 ± 0.35, p < 0.001) and an 85.7% Nugent score normalization rate. Crucially, Kushen Gel treatment was associated with a profound shift from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-viral immune microenvironment. Pro-inflammatory markers (IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α) plummeted significantly (p < 0.0001), while anti-viral IFN-γ exhibited a robust increase (3.2 ± 1.1 to 18.6 ± 5.4 pg./mL, p < 0.0001), particularly in responders. Lactobacillus abundance positively correlated with IFN-γ (r = 0.68) and inversely with IL-8 (r = -0.54). Kushen Gel is associated with HR-HPV clearance and concurrent vaginal microenvironment remodeling, marked by suppressed anaerobic-driven inflammation and an enhanced IFN-γ-associated anti-viral niche dominated by Lactobacillus. These findings biologically support using Kushen Gel to manage vaginal dysbiosis and HR-HPV regression.

PMID 42465087
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