Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease) is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Patients with ALS suffer from increasing muscle weakness, inability to control movement and problems with speaking, swallowing and breathing. The life expectancy of ALS patients after diagnosis is low ranging within three to five years.
ALS is a relatively rare disease (so-called orphan disease) with an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people affected in the industrialized nations. The exact cause for the degeneration of motoneurons is unknown. Currently there is no cure for the disease and only inadequate treatment.