SAN FRANCISCO — Eric Dane has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to PEOPLE. 

The 52-year-old actor told the publication Thursday that he and his family are working to “navigate this next chapter.” 

He’s known for his “Grey’s Anatomy” role as Mark “McSteamy” Sloan, the role of Cal Jacobs in “Euphoria” and the lead role in Max’s “The Last Ship.” 

“I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” he told PEOPLE. “I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week.”  

Dane is married to Rebecca Gayheart and has two children — 15-year-old Billie Beatrice and 13-year-old Georgia Geraldine. 

Dane and his family are requesting privacy at this time. 

ALS is a disease with no cure that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to the Mayo Clinic. ALS causes loss of muscle control and gets worse with time. When voluntary muscle action is impacted, “people may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe,” according to the ALS Association. 

Its exact cause is still not known and anyone at any age can be diagnosed with ALS. 

Filming for the highly anticipated season 3 of HBO’s “Euphoria” has been long delayed but is finally underway, three years after season 2. 

Other notable people who have been diagnosed with ALS include Stephen Hawking, American professional baseball player Lou Gehrig, American football player Eric Stevens, musician Roberta Cleopatra Flack and more.