Recombinant human elafin promotes alveologenesis in newborn mice exposed to chronic hyperoxia

Pulmonary elastase plays an important role in disrupting elastogenesis during O2-induced damage, which is the result of a pulmonary inflammatory response. Elafin prevents these changes by inhibiting elastase and the TGF-β1 signalling cascade and may be a new therapeutic target for preventing O2-induced lung injury in neonates.