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COPPER
Description
Browse through any popular magazine or watch TV for a short
while. You will soon learn that where there is a profit to be
made, scientific research and high technology will be close
behind to find new and better ways to get involved. The
multibillion-dollar beauty and cosmetics industry is a good
example of this. It has pushed for answers to various skin
problems – like scar formation – discovering good information
along the way that
PDI
has found can be applied to the problem of Peyronie’s
disease (PD). Copper has been found to be a critically
important mineral element needed to repair a site of tissue
injury. As you read between the lines it is easy to
apply what is done for one tissue problem (a wrinkle or a surface
scar) to a similar problem (the internal scar of PD).
Copper and Scar
Tissue
In the 1970s Loren Pickart, PhD discovered the benefits of
copper-peptides for tissue regeneration. He found and patented
a number of specific copper-peptides (in particular, GHK
copper-peptides or GHK-Cu) that were particularly effective in
healing wounds, and reducing facial wrinkles. A distinctive
feature of GHK copper-peptides is that they reduce scar tissue
formation while stimulating normal skin remodeling.(1)
The mechanism by which copper-peptide (GHK-Cu) affects injury
repair and eventual scar remodeling is complex. Most important
to PD, copper-peptides cause the reduction of disorganized and
"extra-large" collagen protein strands, as found in scars, and
promote formation of smaller and more regular collagen, as
found in normal tissue. But it also does other things:
promotes manufacture of elastin, proteoglycans,
glycosaminoglycans and other components of normal skin;
regulates growth and migration of several different types of
cell of the immune system that are mobilized after injury;
controls inflammation; and, prevents the release of
oxidation-promoting iron into the damaged and healing tissue.
The end result of all this copper-peptide activity is a faster
and better repair with minimal scar tissue.
After skin injury in which the skin is broken, many dozens of
fascinating cellular processes take place along with a frenzy
of simultaneous chemical activities. However, our focus here
will be to collagen and scar formation, and the vital
importance of copper to this process.
1. Immediately after injury the body first attempts to stop
blood loss (if any) with localized blood coagulants, and then
quickly cover the damaged skin with a protective layer of
collagen in preparation for scar formation. This process is
started by a scar-forming hormone called transforming growth
factor beta (TGF-beta). As a result, large amounts of
scar-forming collagen are secreted into the area of injury to
protect and reinforce the injury. During this time an army of
defensive cells, like the polymorphoneuclear neutrophils (PMNs),
flood the injured site to sterilize it by releasing oxygen
radicals that kill invading bacteria.
2. The cells at the site of injury also cause release of a
wide variety of enzymes that break down skin proteins into
smaller fragments. Copper – no other metal, not iron, not
zinc, not potassium, only copper – accumulates at the site and
is soon joined with protein fragments called peptides. If
copper is insufficient, healing will be imperfect and
inadequate. The copper-peptides that are formed in the area of
injury serve as chemical signals to the immune system that the
skin is injured and needs repair. Without these chemical
signals from the copper-peptides the body is said to be
unaware that it is injured, resulting in delayed or inadequate
repair to the injury.(2)
3. Copper-peptides also signal a most important phase of
tissue repair called skin remodeling. During this phase the
scar tissue is transformed and replaced with normal skin
tissue. Since the excess scar that was developed in response
to the initial emergency is no longer needed, it is reduced
and even eliminated.
4. As copper-peptides accumulate, they protect the damaged
area by stopping the production of, and sterilizing effects
of, oxygen radicals from the PMNs, and by reducing scar
formation by suppressing the production of TGF-beta – the
scar-making hormone. So you see that not only does
copper-peptide reduce scar material, it also keeps more from
being formed -- not bad!
5. Copper-peptides also signal another type of defensive cell
of the immune system, called a macrophage, which arrives after
the PMNs have sterilized the tissue with oxygen radicals.
Macrophages act as scavengers eating up various cellular
debris elements from the site of injury, and they secrete over
a dozen growth factors required for tissue repair.
Copper-peptides also stimulate scar removal in other ways by
changing the synthesis of metalloproteinases (a family of at
least 20 proteins that remove damaged collagen and scar
tissue) and antiproteases.(2-5) These copper-peptides have
been found to increase metalloproteinase activity up to
fourfold – 400% ! – which has the potential to greatly
increase the activity of scar reduction and remoldeling.(6)
6. If all that wasn’t enough, copper-peptides accelerate
production of proteins needed for repair and remodeling, such
as collagen and elastin, and other proteins and molecules such
as proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) that bind water
to moisturize the skin. The copper-peptides also initiate
angiogenesis, which is new capillary formation, to insure a
good blood supply for the newly repaired tissue.
7. Skin remodeling goes on for long time; it is a slow
process. This point needs to be emphasized often to the PD
patient who wants to get well tomorrow. Scar reduction is done
on the cellular level, one strand of fibrin at a time. PD is
an exercise in developing the virtue of patience.
Finally, an experiment with rats demonstrates how important
copper is to the size of a scar in particular. In this study,
rats that were deficient in copper produced scar tissue that
was thicker and heavier than normal due to abnormal
distribution of connective tissue components.(7)
So the
main message of all these studies is that it pays to supply copper
to the body if you wish to minimize scar development.
Conclusion about
Copper Research
Copper is an important component of the healing process called
scar remodeling, or the resurfacing and removal of excess scar
tissue. Use of copper has been repeatedly found to reduce the
appearance of even old and healed scars on the surface of the
skin. There is good science to support the idea of
copper-peptides can be used to assist remodeling of your PD
scar.
Science
In the body, copper is either in the cuprous form (Copper 1 or
Cu 1+) or the cupric form (Copper 2 or Cu 2+). Most of the
body's copper is in the Copper 2 form, the "metabolically
active copper” that is used for tissue regeneration and
repair. Copper 2 imparts a blue or green color to whatever
solution it is in, whether in creams, lotions, and solutions.
Copper 1 is not involved in tissue regenerative or skin repair
activity and is colorless in water. Less that 1% of the body's
copper is metabolically active copper, and it is exchanged
between the various tissues of the body as needed, as in the
metalloproteins and copper-peptides need for scar remodeling.
PD Connection
Now you understand a few important things about scar tissue
that relates to your PD:
1. All injuries undergo a remodeling phase, which is the
reduction of the initial normal excess scar reaction that
takes place right after injury. If a scar stays excessive, it
is not normal and the reason for it probably has to do with
some basic issue of biochemistry, such as a relative
deficiency of copper.
2. Incomplete healing results in heavy scarring, and complete
healing results in minimal scarring.
3. Copper is a critically essential element needed for
complete wound and injury healing. Without copper, scar
reduction – called remodeling – cannot proceed normally. In a
copper deficiency scars not only start out larger and thicker,
and they are more likely to stay that way. Keep that in mind
about your PD.
As was mentioned as this section began, the
multibillion-dollar beauty and cosmetics industry has demanded
and received abundant research and answers for many problems
related to various skin problems. You can use this cutting
edge information from a well-researched source to read between
the lines how copper might be used to help your tissue return
to normal strength and healthy function, perhaps eventually
reversing PD.
Commercial product information
This concludes the technical discussion concerning
COPPER. What follows next is the presentation of
commercial information about a particular product that
PDI
endorses and sells in its Natural Complementary Medicine
Products division.
PDI
does this so that you may easily
identify what we think is the best therapy product of its
kind, and then make it available for sale easily and at the
best price we can.
Please bear in
mind that
PDI
cannot answer your questions or help you with
your therapy plan if we do not have knowledge, experience
or confidence with “foreign” therapies. On the
PDI
website we clearly state, “Sorry, but due to the volume of
emails
PDI
receives and with limited hours available in a day, we
can only answer questions from
PDI
customers. When
you purchase your therapy products only from
PDI
you have
full access to the vast experience and careful assistance
available to our customers. If you purchase inferior grade
or questionable bargain products elsewhere, you will have to
rely upon that source for whatever help you might need
later.”
We take this
position because after doing this work since 2002 we
sincerely believe that you
stand a better chance to
reverse your PD if you only use products listed in the
PDI and Natural
Complementary Medicine websites.
Copper Product
Recommendation
Loren Pickart, PhD, holds numerous patents for his discoveries
and innovations with problems in dermatology; he is perhaps
the leading world authority on the use of copper for skin
problems. He has an excellent formula that he has recommended
in personal communication with
PDI for the use of attempting
to stimulate remodeling of the PD scar. This product is called
Super CP Serum. Dr. Pickart has experience with Super
CP Serum in thousands of cases of different skin problems. He
advises that for Super CP Serum to reach the deep PD scar,
extra penetration of the copper-peptides would occur if Super
CP Serum was applied at the same time with DMSO.
For additional information on DMSO, please go to the DMSO
Treatment tab for
that discussion.
Recommended Use
of Super CP Serum and DMSO
Place 2-3 drops of Super CP Serum over the scar on the shaft
of the penis, and work into the skin with your finger.
Initially the Super CP Serum will feel slippery, but after
just a few seconds it will penetrate the area and you will
feel a certain resistance or drag as you rub it in. At this
point stop working it in, and apply a small amount of DMSO
over the same area you just applied the Super CP Serum. Let the area air-dry for as
long as you can before getting dressed.
For ideas and suggestions to put it all together, click
Create a PD Treatment Plan.
Order Copper - Super CP
Why Buy from
PDI?
1. Service
PDI offers email support and
assistance for the products and services we provide. We
provide experience and interest in helping you with PD.
PDI
is here to help you with questions about the
products we sell. This is an extremely valuable service
the others cannot possibly match.
2. Quality and Quantity Repairing the Peyronie’s
scar is such an important mission. It is critical you
use a high quality and quantity of nutrients. We have
done the hard part selecting good companies and
products. Buy with confidence.
3. Value
PDI has a competitive pricing structure
of which we are proud. We doubt you can find better
products that deliver the quality and quantity for the
prices we have set.
4. Convenience The longer you take to start
treating PD, the longer and more difficult treatment
becomes, and the likelihood of success deteriorates.
Everything you need is here, right now, in one place. |
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DMSO is a carrier of other
substances that can be used to increase the
effectiveness of VITAMIN E in treating your PD.
 By using a combination of copper and vitamin E with DMSO, you
receive not only the benefit of copper and vitamin E being taken
deeper and faster into the tissue, but the DMSO has its
own therapeutic advantages as well.
Click DMSO to
learn more about adding another layer to your therapy
program. |
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1. Pickart, L.
Copper-peptides for Tissue Regeneration. Speciality Chemicals
Oct. 9, 2002, 29-31.
2. Simeon, Emonard, The tripeptide-copper complex GHK-Cu
stimulates matrix metalloproteinases 2 expression by
fibroblast cultures. Hornebeck & Maquart Laboratoire de
Biochimie-UPRESA CNRS 6021, Faculte de Medecine, Reims,
France. Life Sci 2000 Sep 22;67(18):2257-65
3. The effect of copper tripeptide and tretinoin on growth
factor production in a serum-free fibroblast model. McCormack,
M., Nowak KC, Koch, J. Arch Facial Plast Surg 2001; 3: 28-32
4. Oddos, T, Jumeau-Lafond, A. Requirement of Copper and
Tripeptide Glycyl-L-Histidyl-L-Lysine Complex Formation for
Collagen Synthesis Activity in Normal Human Dermal
Fibroblasts.; Val de Reuil, France, Ries, G, Johnson &
Johnson, Dusseldorf, Germany. Abstract P72, American Academy
of Dermatology Meeting, February 2002
5. Buffoni, Pino and Dal Pozzo. Effect of tripeptide-copper
complexes on the process of skin wound healing and on cultured
fibroblasts. (Department of Pharmacology, University of
Florence, Firenze, Italy) Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther 1995
330(3):345-60
6. Simeon; Monier; Emonard; Gillery; Birembaut. Expression and
activation of matrix metalloproteinases in wounds: modulation
by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-
Cu2+. Hornebeck and Maquart (Faculte de Medecine, Reims,
France). J Invest Dermatol 1999 112(6):957-64
7. Farquharson C, Robins SP. Immunolocalization of collagen
types I, III and IV, elastin and fibronectin within the heart
of normal and copper-deficient rats. J Comp Pathol. 1991
Apr;104(3):245-55. Biochemistry Division, Rowett Research
Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, Scotland.
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