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Target ALS

A New York based ALS research organization that's leading the fight for a cure.

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Glossary

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.

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sclerosis

Abnormal hardening of body tissue.

speech-generating device (SGD)

Most commonly, a tablet-like device that allows a person to communicate through an electronic voice. Sometimes called augmentative communication equipment.

sporadic ALS

The type of ALS with no obvious family history. More than 90% of ALS cases are sporadic. The rest are familial. 

stress granule

Stress granules are structures that form within a cell due to stress conditions, including pathogen infection and other environmental stressors.

supernatant

​​When separating fluids from solids, the supernatant is the liquid lying above the sedimented solids. Tissue culture supernatants can be a source of monoclonal antibodies. Examples include TALS 828.179 and TALS 828.66.

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