Post by The Hospital for Sick Children

In the 1960s, Dr. Amu Sarkar, SickKids’ first basic scientist, discovered how copper binds to proteins in our blood. Convinced this was medically important, he spent decades decoding how this process exactly worked — and finally solved the mystery in the 1990s. In the years in between, Dr. Sarkar’s fascination with copper directly led to the first-ever treatment for Menkes disease, which until then was a fatal diagnosis for newborns. He freely shared this knowledge around the world to try and help as many families as possible. Yet only this year, decades after discovering his copper-based treatment for Menkes disease, did the FDA officially approve it for use. Dive into early #SKResearch history and meet the researcher whose vision and perseverance has saved the lives of untold numbers of children around the world 👇 https://lnkd.in/eTb-Smcm