The present invention is directed to synthetic anti-inflammatory peptides and use thereof in the treatment and prevention of inflammatory and fibrotic conditions. Specifically, the invention relates in some embodiments to short isolated peptides having the amino acid sequence Phe-Lys-Glu (FKE), Tyr-Lys-Glu (YKE) or comprising a plurality of these sequences that may be flanked by Ala/Gly (A/G) linkers. The invention further relates in some embodiments to methods for inhibiting scar formation and for treating and alleviating IL-10 dependent conditions.