József Knoll
Hungarian psychopharmacologist who developed selegiline
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
József Knoll (May 30, 1925 – April 17, 2018), or Joseph Knoll, was a Hungarian psychopharmacologist known for developing the antiparkinsonian and antidepressant drug selegiline (L-deprenyl).[2][3][4][1][5]
József Knoll | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 30, 1925[1] Kassa, Hungary (now Košice, Slovakia) |
| Died | April 17, 2018 (aged 92)[1] |
| Other names | Joseph Knoll; Jozsef Knoll |
| Occupation | Psychopharmacologist |
He developed selegiline in the 1960s and subsequently studied the drug and related agents for many decades.[2][1][4] Knoll also developed the concepts of monoaminergic activity enhancers (MAEs) and the mesencephalic enhancer regulation system, among other contributions.[2][1] MAEs developed by Knoll and colleagues include selegiline, benzofuranylpropylaminopentane (BPAP), and phenylpropylaminopentane (PPAP), among others.[2]
During his scientific career, Knoll published 894 papers and was the originator of 55 patents.[1] As of 2018, his papers had been cited more than 10,000 times.[1] He is described as one of the best-known Hungarian pharmacologists.[1]
Knoll is known for having extensively researched and promoted selegiline for claimed drive- and longevity-enhancing effects related to its MAE activity.[2][4][1][5] He published a book expounding his views on the topic in 2012.[6] Knoll himself began taking a low 1 mg daily dose of selegiline on January 1, 1989 at the age of 64.[6]: 92 [3] He reported in 2012 that this had continued for 22 years uninterrupted.[6]: 92 Knoll stated that he had become so fascinated with the possible longevity-promoting effects of selegiline he was studying that he had decided to start taking it as a self-experiment.[6]: 92 [3] Knoll later died in 2018 at the age of 92.[4]
Selected publications
Books
- Knoll J (2005). The Brain and Its Self: A Neurochemical Concept of the Innate and Acquired Drives. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-540-23969-7.
- Knoll J (2012). How Selegiline ((-)-Deprenyl) Slows Brain Aging. Bentham Science Publishers. ISBN 978-1-60805-470-1. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
Reviews
- Knoll J (2001). "Antiaging compounds: (-)deprenyl (selegeline) and (-)1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-propylaminopentane, [(-)BPAP], a selective highly potent enhancer of the impulse propagation mediated release of catecholamine and serotonin in the brain". CNS Drug Rev. 7 (3): 317–45. doi:10.1111/j.1527-3458.2001.tb00202.x. PMC 6494119. PMID 11607046.
- Knoll J (August 2003). "Enhancer regulation/endogenous and synthetic enhancer compounds: a neurochemical concept of the innate and acquired drives". Neurochem Res. 28 (8): 1275–1297. doi:10.1023/a:1024224311289. PMID 12834268.
