Elastin peptides regulate proliferation, chemotaxis and protease expression. The aim of this work was to assess their influence on apoptosis. Human skin fibroblast cell death was induced using C(2)-ceramide in the presence or absence of elastin peptides. We show that ceramide-induced apoptosis could be blocked by elastin peptides. Using pharmacological inhibitors, we show that elastin peptide treatment leads to activation of the anti-apoptotic protein Akt that phosphorylates the pro-apoptotic protein Bad, the Foxo3a transcription factor and caspase-9. Importantly, the anti-apoptotic effects of elastin peptides were persistent in time. Our results suggest that elastin peptides could be potent cell survival factors.