Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative neuromuscular disease of motor neuron cells. The consequence is a progressive muscle weakness that progresses towards total paralysis of the patient, also affecting the ability to speak, chew, swallow and breathe. Functions such as sensitivity, intelligence and eye movements are not affected.

In most cases (90-95%), ALS occurs sporadically and has no known origin, but there is also a hereditary type of familial ALS. The disease was already described more than 140 years ago by the French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, but today there is still no therapy that cures ALS, which is why it is so important to encourage research.