Albrecht Fleckenstein (3 March 1917 – 4 April 1992) was a
German pharmacologist and
physiologist
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical a ...
best known for his discovery of
calcium channel blocker
Calcium channel blockers (CCB), calcium channel antagonists or calcium antagonists are a group of medications that disrupt the movement of calcium () through calcium channels. Calcium channel blockers are used as antihypertensive drugs, i.e., as ...
s.
Life and career
Albrecht Fleckenstein was born on 3 March 1917 in
Aschaffenburg, Germany
Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative seat.
Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric ...
. He received his medical training in
Würzburg and
Vienna. In 1964, Fleckenstein reported on the inhibitory actions of
prenylamine and
verapamil on the physiological process of
excitation–contraction coupling. This contributed to his discovery of
calcium antagonists.
Awards
In 1986, Fleckenstein received the
Ernst Jung Prize, awarded annually for excellence in
biomedical sciences
Biomedical sciences are a set of sciences applying portions of natural science or formal science, or both, to develop knowledge, interventions, or technology that are of use in healthcare or public health. Such disciplines as medical microbio ...
.
In 1991, he also received the
Albert Einstein World Award of Science.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleckenstein, Albrecht
German pharmacologists
German physiologists
1917 births
1992 deaths
Albert Einstein World Award of Science Laureates
Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany