The described invention provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods for treating or preventing vascular graft failure in a subject in need of such treatment, the method comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a polypeptide of amino acid sequence YARAAARQARAKALARQLGVAA (SEQ ID NO: 1) or a functional equivalent thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The methods also are clinically useful for treating a pre-atherosclerotic intimal hyperplasia condition.