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.
immunology
The study of the immune system, a set of processes that govern the body's response to infections.
immunosuppression
The inhibition of the body's immune system and its ability to fight infections and disease. May be intentionally caused to prevent rejection after transplant surgery. Other times, it is the result of diseases such as AIDS and lymphoma
inflammatory disease
Diseases that activate an abnormal response by the immune system in which it attacks the body's own tissues, resulting in inflammation.
