Eric Dane: Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria star reveals he has been diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease

Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria star Eric Dane has revealed he has been diagnosed with an incurable disease that will likely leave him paralysed.

Dane, 52, told PEOPLE that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

The actor, loved for his character of Dr Mark Sloan in Grey’s Anatomy, dad Cal Jacobs in Euphoria, and Jason Dean in Charmed, opened up about his diagnosis, saying he was “grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter”.

Dane, who is married to actor and model Rebecca Gayheart, has two children, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13.

“I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time,” he said.

The actor is set to return to the set of the hit HBO series Euphoria next week, and said he felt “fortunate that I am able to continue working.”

ALS, a disease Stephen Hawking had, gets worse over time.

It often begins worsening by weakening muscles, stripping a person of voluntary muscle control, before leading to paralysis and eventually death.

There is currently no cure for ALS. After diagnosis, patients are usually given a life expectancy of around five years, however, there have been cases of people living longer.

Due to the disease’s impact on the brain and spine, those diagnosed gradually lose speech function and the ability to eat, move or breath without assistance.