Canadian Arthritis Network - Today's Arthritis Research

Dr. Marc McKee wins prestigious international award for study of bone mineralization

Toronto – July 17, 2003. Chris Nelson, president of the Canadian Arthritis Network is pleased to announce that Dr. Marc McKee, a member of the Network, is the winner of the 2003 Award for Basic Research in Biological Mineralization presented by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).

Dr. McKee is an Associate Professor, William Dawson Scholar and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research in the Faculty of Dentistry at McGill University, with a joint appointment also in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology in the Faculty of Medicine. He received the award primarily for the innovative use of electron microscopy to study the formation of mineral crystals in bones and teeth, and in diseases having debilitating, pathologic mineralization.

Dr. McKee’s work contributes to understanding proteins that regulate the crystal growth that makes bones, cartilage and teeth hard, as well as the role of proteins in abnormally mineralizing tissue as seen in diseases such as arthritis, atherosclerosis and kidney stones. The information generated from Dr. McKee’s research could contribute to new therapies for osteoporosis and the bone loss associated with periodontal disease, and to treating undesirable pathologic calcification.

Dr. Jane Aubin, of the University of Toronto, the Network’s scientific co-director described Dr. McKee as “an outstanding scientist who has made a significant contribution to our knowledge of how bone and other mineralized tissues mature and mineralize. It moves us closer to finding a treatment for abnormalities in cartilage and bone that are characteristics of arthritis.”

The Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating a world free of arthritis through integrated, trans-disciplinary research and development. CAN is the single point of contact that links120 leading Canadian arthritis researchers and clinicians, 44 Canadian academic institutions, The Arthritis Society, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and government.

CAN funds research and acts as a facilitator, bringing scientific discoveries to market by providing access to cutting-edge techniques for product development and evaluation. It offers pre-clinical as well as clinical research services and facilitates technology transfer and the commercialization of new discoveries. CAN is a member of the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence, Canada’s flagship science and technology program.