Capstone Therapeutics Announces Pre-Clinical Results With AZX100 in Radiation and Bleomycin Models of Pulmonary Fibrosis; Pulmon

Capstone Therapeutics

(Nasdaq:CAPS)

(the "Company")

 today announced results from a pre-clinical study of AZX100 in a rodent model of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

• Using the TUNEL assay – an established method for detecting DNA fragments that are the hallmark of "programmed cell death" known as "apoptosis" – a significant decrease in apoptosis among all cell types was demonstrated with AZX100 treatment for 28 days compared to untreated lung (p = 0.00058).  
• Importantly, the TUNEL assay also showed with AZX100 treatment a significant decrease in apoptotic epithelial cells (p = 0.003). This effect translated to a greater than 70% decrease in apoptotic epithelial cell count with AZX100 compared to the untreated cohort. Preservation of normal epithelial cells is required for proper lung function.  
• Using the hydroxyproline assay for collagen assessment - a well-characterized and accepted method for biochemical evaluation of fibrosis - a trend toward decreased hydroxyproline content was observed after AZX100 treatment for 28 days (p = 0.067).

These data provide additional pre-clinical evidence supporting an anti-fibrotic effect of aerosolized AZX100 in lung tissue. Earlier studies in the bleomycin-induced model of pulmonary fibrosis showed that AZX100 treatment significantly reduced soluble and tissue collagen (p =