Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in the central nervous system that impacts the brain and spinal cord, resulting in a loss of muscle control.
It is colloquially referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, after the famous baseball player who battled it in the late 1930s, and does not yet have a cure. To better understand the language of ALS, the ALS Glossary below provides definitions for research terms commonly used by our Innovation Ecosystem and the extended ALS community.
human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC or iPSC) line
Pluripotent stem cells self-renew and can produce any cell or tissue the body needs. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells are generated directly from adult cells. These cell lines can be used to test or identify new therapies in a lab
hybridoma and hybridoma clones
A hybridoma is a hybrid cell formed by the fusion of two different types of cells–typically, a short-lived plasma cell capable of producing antibodies and an immortal cancer cell. The hybridoma produces continuous supply (clones) of a specific monoclonal antibody. These clones are tested to identify the ones that produce the desired antibody
hybridoma technology
Hybridoma technology is a method for producing large numbers of identical antibodies (monoclonal antibodies).
hyperreflexia
When muscle tendons respond in an exaggerated manner to a normal stimulus.
hyporeflexia
A weak or nonexistent muscle tendon response to normal stimuli.
