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Room 3206
451 Smyth Road,
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada, K1H 8M5

Tel.: 613-562-5406
Fax: 613-562-5434

Email us

Maxwell Hincke, Ph.D.

Professor Head, Division of Clinical and Functional Anatomy Faculty of Medicine 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5 Office: 2235 Tel.: (613) 562-5800 (8193) Fax: (613) 562-5434 Email: mhincke@uottawa.ca

Research interest: Molecular dynamics of Connective tissue

Tissue engineering for articular cartilage.

Canadian and other western societies face a demographic imperative. Canada's health care system is confronted by an aging population which is living longer with greater expectations of mobility and quality of life. Age-related wear and tear of cartilage (osteoarthritis) and traumatic cartilage damage are the leading cause of disability in Canada. Health problems associated with deterioration of articular cartilage affect over one million patients per year in North America and are the major cause of orthopedic interventions. In 2000/01, arthritis and related diseases affected over 1.6 million Ontarians aged 15 yr or older; these numbers will double by 2031. In 2001/02, 18% of total hip replacement (THR) and 10% of total knee replacement (TKR) surgeries in Ontario were revisions - necessary due to failure of prostheses from previous surgery. Given cumulative and increasing numbers of THR and TKR surgeries, revision numbers will continue to rise. A more permanent regenerative medicine solution for damaged cartilage will improve patient well-being and quality of life, and lead to reduced health care costs. The goal of this research program is to develop implantable articular cartilage using bioengineered scaffolds that function as regeneration templates. Semi-synthetic scaffolds will serve as scaffolds for chondrogenic cell precursors and stem cells to form the normal structure of cartilage for integration into the surrounding healthy tissue. Approaches such as this will lead to reduced health care costs to support a sustainable Canadian health care system.

Role of matrix proteins in calcitic biomineralization and antimicrobial protection.

The protein components of biominerals (matrix proteins) influence the shape and strength of the final structure by modulating crystal nucleation and growth, which in turn defines the textural properties and crystal shape that strongly affect mechanical performance. However, the specific mechanisms through which this regulation is exercised remain unclear. My research program investigates how proteins influence calcification. The avian eggshell is one of the fastest calcifying processes known; 6 g of mineral is deposited in less than 20 hr during the daily formation of the chicken egg. This calcitic bioceramic is formed in the acellular uterine fluid, a milieu in which the ionic and protein composition varies during the initiation, rapid calcification and termination phases of mineral deposition. The integrity of this process is vital for the propagation of all avian species, since the eggshell is a physical and microbial barrier against the external environment. Flaws in eggshell fabrication are responsible for up to 10,000 cases of salmonella poisoning due to cracked eggshells annually in Canada. This research provides insight into how matrix proteins regulate patterns of calcite crystallization and affect food safety and human health.

Selected Publications.

2009:

Dare, E.V., Griffith, M., Poitras, P., Kaupp, J.A., Waldman, S.D.,Carlsson, D. J., Dervin, G., Mayoux, C., Hincke, M.T. (2009) Genipin Cross-Linked Fibrin Hydrogels for Human Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineered Regeneration. Cells, Tissue, Organs 190 (6): 313 - 325.

Dare EV, Griffith M, Poitras P, Wang T, Dervin GF, Giulivi A, Hincke MT (2009) Fibrin Sealants from Fresh or Fresh/Frozen Plasma as Scaffolds for in vitro Articular Cartilage Regeneration. Tissue Engineering A 15(8): 2285-97.

Rose M and Hincke MT. (2009) Protein constituents of the eggshell: eggshell-specific matrix proteins. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 66 (16): 2707-19.

Y.-C. Chien, M.T. Hincke and M.D. McKee (2009) Ultrastructure of avian eggshell during resorption following egg fertilization. Journal of Structural Biology 168: 527-538.

Patasi B., Jalali, A., Boozary, A. and Hincke, M. (2009) The Utility of Podcasts in Web 2.0 Human Anatomy. (Medical Education, in press).

Loit, E., Hincke, M. T., Altosaar, I. Synthetic antimicrobial peptide L8, MHLHKTSRVTLYLL, has membrane permeabilization and bacterial aggregation activity. (International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, in press).

Villamer, J., Goodwin, S., Hincke, M. and Jalali, A. (2009) A variation of the brachial plexus characterized by the absence of the superior trunk. (Neuroanatomy, in press).

Chien, Y.-C., Hincke, M.T., McKee, M.D. (2009) Avian eggshell structure and osteopontin. Cells, Tissue, Organs 189: 38-43.

2008:

Ahmed, T., Dare, E.V., Hincke, M.T. (2008) Fibrin: a Versatile Scaffold for Tissue Engineering Applications. Tissue Engineering; Part B: Reviews 14(2): 199-215.

Chien, Y.-C., Hincke, M.T., Vali, H., McKee, M.D. (2008) Ultrastructural matrix-mineral relationships in avian eggshell, and effects of osteopontin on calcite growth in vitro Journal of Structural Biology. 163( 1): 84-99.

Loit, E, Wu, K., Cheng, X., Hincke, M., Altosaar, I. (2008) Functional whole-colony screening method to identify antimicrobial peptides. Journal of Microbiological Methods 75(3): 425-31.

Lemaire, S., Trinh, T.-T, Le, H.-T., Tang, S.C., Hincke, M., Wellman-Labadie, O., Ziai, S. (2008) Antimicrobial effects of histone H4-(86-100) and related peptides: possible involvement of DNA gyrase. FEBS Letters 275: 5286-97.

Hincke, M.T., Chien, Y.-C., Gerstenfeld, L.C., McKee, M.D. (2008) Colloidal-gold immunocytochemical localization of osteopontin in avian eggshell gland and eggshell. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 56 (5): 467-476.

Wellman-Labadie O, Picman J, Hincke MT. (2008) Comparative microbial toxicity of waterfowl egg white protein extracts. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 81: 235-45.

Wellman-Labadie, O., Picman, J. and Hincke, M.T. (2008) Antimicrobial activity of the anseriform outer eggshell and cuticle. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 149: 640-9.

Wellman-Labadie, O., Lakshminarayanan, R., Hincke, MT. (2008) Antimicrobial Properties of Avian Eggshell-specific C-type Lectin-like Proteins. FEBS Letters 582: 699-704.

2007:

Dare, E.V., Vascotto, S.G., Carlsson, D.J., Hincke, M.T. and Griffith, M. (2007) Differentiation of a fibrin gel encapsulated chondrogenic cell line. International Journal of Artificial Organs. 30(7): 619-27.