General

Any muscle that causes the bending of a limb or other body part.

Flaccid muscles, also known as hypotonicity is a condition characterized by a decrease or loss of normal muscle tone due to the deterioration of the lower motor nerve cells.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the branch of federal government which approves new drugs for sale.

A progressive neurological disease that affects more than one member of the same family. This type of ALS accounts for a very small number of people with ALS in the United States (5 to 10 percent). The gene responsible for familial ALS has been identified.

Any muscle that causes the straightening of a limb or other part.

Exciting neurons which can over time lead to neuronal death.

A brain disorder involving recurrent seizures; may also be called a seizure disorder.

A protein that acts as a catalyst in mediating and speeding a specific chemical reaction.

Embryonic stem cells are the "blank slates" of an organism, capable of developing into all types of tissue in the body. Scientists have long been interested in the therapeutic potential of embryonic stem cells, which may be used someday to create new tissues for organ transplants and replacements for cells destroyed by diseases like diabetes or trauma like spinal cord injuries.

A protein, a chemical substance made by muscle fibers.