We have developed a first-in-class small molecule inhibitor of the early stage of vimentin filament assembly as a novel treatment for hypertrophic and keloidal scarring. The inhibitor targets a "knob-pocket" mechanism discovered in the Bunick lab. Our inhibitor disrupts vimentin at its earliest assembly step to prevent de novo filament formation, differentiating us from competitors, which poorly de-aggregate vimentin post-assembly. Funding will be used to take a small molecule hit, optimize the lead compound, and validate its effect on keloidal fibroblasts and in a keloid mini-pig model.