A cell-penetrating peptide suppresses inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB signaling

Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is a central regulator of immune response and a potential target for developing anti-inflammatory agents. Mechanistic studies suggest that compounds that directly inhibit NF-κB DNA binding may block inflammation and the associated tissue damage. Thus, we attempted to discover peptides that could interfere with NF-κB signaling based on a highly conserved DNA-binding domain found in all NF-κB members. One such small peptide, designated as anti-inflammatory peptide-6 (AIP6), was characterized in the current study. AIP6 directly interacted with p65 and displayed an intrinsic cell-penetrating property. This peptide demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, AIP6 inhibited the DNA-binding and transcriptional activities of the p65 NF-κB subunit as well as the production of inflammatory mediators in macrophages upon stimulation. Local administration of AIP6 significantly inhibited inflammation induced by zymosan in mice. Collectively, our results suggest that AIP6 is a promising lead peptide for the development of specific NF-κB inhibitors as potential anti-inflammatory agents.