Design and Synthesis of Novel Ultralong-Acting Peptides as EDP-EBP Interaction Inhibitors for Pulmonary Fibrosis Treatment

The increased remodeling of the extracellular matrix
(ECM) in pulmonary
fibrosis (PF) generates bioactive ECM fragments called matricryptins,
which include elastin-derived peptides (EDPs). The interaction between
EDPs and their receptors, including elastin-binding protein (EBP),
plays a crucial role in exacerbating fibrosis. Here, we present LXJ‑02 for the first time,
a novel ultralong-acting inhibitor that disrupts the EDPs/EBP peptide–protein
interaction, promoting macrophages to secrete matrix metalloproteinase-12
(MMP-12), and showing great promise as a stable peptide. MMP-12 has
traditionally been implicated in promoting inflammation and fibrosis
in various acute and chronic diseases. However, we reveal a novel
role of LXJ‑02 that activates
the macrophage-MMP-12 axis to increase MMP-12 expression and degrade
ECM components like elastin. This leads to the preventing of PF while
also improving EDP-EBP interaction. LXJ‑02 effectively reverses PF in mouse models with minimal side
effects, holding great promise as an excellent therapeutic agent for
lung fibrosis.