Moussa B. H. Youdim is an Iranian-Israeli neuroscientist whose work primarily focuses on the monoamine oxidase enzyme and its role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Through his research in this field, he has made a significant contribution to the development of selective inhibitors of this enzyme. Medications used to inhibit monoamine oxidase B have since become an established method of treating Parkinson’s disease.
The biochemist began investigating the enzyme monoamine oxidase during his PhD studies. He identified the A and B isoforms and researched their role in neuropsychiatric diseases. Building on this, Youdim developed selegiline, a selective irreversible MAO-B inhibitor for treating Parkinson’s disease. By delaying the breakdown of dopamine, it increases the concentration of dopamine in the brain and thereby alleviates the symptoms of the disease.