Cardiovascular Disease & Scar Tissue - Cardiovascular disease leads to one death every 33 seconds in the US, with scar tissue from heart attacks being a major cause [3][4] - Scar tissue, while preventing holes in the heart, impairs heart function, leading to heart failure as the heart muscle compensates for the non-functional scar tissue [6][7][8] - Unlike mammals, zebrafish can degrade scar tissue and regenerate heart tissue, despite the scar tissue being primarily composed of collagen [9][10] Collagen Cross-linking & TMRO Probe - The research indicates that the *type* of collagen cross-linking, rather than the *extent*, determines scar tissue degradability [32] - Mammalian scar tissue has "locked" collagen cross-links (specifically pyodenoline or PYD), making it difficult to degrade, while zebrafish have "open" cross-links [33][34][36][37] - The company developed a molecular imaging probe, TMRO, to detect collagen cross-linking, enabling reduced animal usage in research by visualizing the process [19][20][18] Fibrotic Diseases & Future Implications - This research has implications for fibrotic diseases, which account for 30-50% of deaths in the industrialized world, by potentially inhibiting the formation of "locked" collagen cross-links [37][38] - The company's mission is to inhibit the formation of these locks, allowing scar tissue to be degraded, restoring organ function, and preventing a large number of deaths [38]

Core Insights - Pliant Therapeutics will present three scientific posters at the 2025 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference in San Francisco from May 16-21, 2025 [1][2]. Group 1: Presentations at ATS Conference - Pliant has been selected for a featured oral presentation at the ATS 2025 Mini Symposiums program [2]. - The oral presentation titled "Characterizing the Antifibrotic Activity of Bexotegrast on Distinct Fibroblast Populations in PCLS From Multiple ILD Subtypes" will be presented by Dr. Johanna Schaub on May 19, 2025, from 2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Pacific Time [3]. - Two posters will be presented on May 21, 2025, focusing on plasma proteome analysis and single-cell profiling related to antifibrotic effects of Bexotegrast, both scheduled from 8:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Pacific Time [3]. Group 2: Company Overview - Pliant Therapeutics is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in novel therapeutics for fibrotic diseases [4]. - The lead product candidate, Bexotegrast (PLN-74809), is an oral small molecule targeting idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and has received Fast Track and Orphan Drug Designations from the FDA [4]. - Pliant is also developing PLN-101095 for solid tumors and has regulatory clearance for a Phase 1 study of PLN-101325 targeting muscular dystrophies [4].