human
I have a question about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. What is the difference between ALS and Lou Gehrig’s disease?
assistant
ALS is the abbreviation for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Lou Gehrig’s disease is the name of the famous baseball player who died from ALS. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by a defect in the gene that codes for a protein called superoxide dismutase. This protein is important for protecting nerve cells from damage.