Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurological disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord and causes disability. It is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The term “A-myo-trophic” is derived from the Greek languagae with “A” meaning no, “Myo” meaning muscle, and “Trophic” referring to nourishment i.e. “No muscle nourishment.” No nourishment in muscles results in “atrophies” or wasting away. “Lateral” refers to the areas in a person’s spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are situated. Degeneration of the area results in scarring or hardening “sclerosis”) within the region.
In ALS patients, wasting away of the muscles results in nerve cell (neurons) destruction which is responsible for controlling the voluntary movement of the muscle. The condition affects voluntary muscle movement such as chewing, walking, talking and breathing as well as functioning of the limbs.
Oxford Biodynamics PLC (LON:OBD) was spun out from Oxford University in June 2007 with the aim of translating fundamental scientific advances into a commercialised platform technology and a new generation of biomarkers for cancer, ALS and other diseases.
