Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a fatal neuro-degenerative disease. Motor neurons in the spine die and progressively paralyze the body. There is no known cause or cure. Nearly 30,000 people presently living in the U.S. today will die from ALS if a cure is not found. Each year, there are approximately 5,000 newly diagnosed ALS cases in the U.S. While this is a substantial number, ALS itself is not common enough to attract major research dollars from government funds or large pharmaceutical companies. Thus, finding a cure for ALS has been an orphaned cause.
Take a look at the following link to research more on ALS.