A Nature Communications paper reports that brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a synthetic dodecapeptide derived from it antagonize Toll‑like receptor 4 (TLR4), reducing innate immune activation in models of acute lung injury (ALI). The authors demonstrated receptor blockade and downstream suppression of inflammatory signaling in preclinical assays. Targeting TLR4 with BDNF‑based peptides presents a novel immunomodulatory avenue for ALI and sepsis-related lung damage, but clinical translation will require proof of specificity, dosing windows and safety given BDNF’s pleiotropic roles in the nervous system.