The Promise of RNAi

Until 1998, the world didn't know RNA interference (RNAi) existed. Now this young technology is at the center of a revolution in medical science. It is a groundbreaking technology because it opens the door to developing new therapies for cancer and other diseases based on an unprecedented ability to pinpoint the specific genes involved. Its potential and magnitude earned its discoverers the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. With $12.6 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, the La Jolla Institute has taken the lead in developing an RNAi Center, one of a small, select group of dedicated RNAi facilities worldwide. Led by experts equipped with the latest technologies, our Center will be a catalyst for accelerating discovery against myriad diseases and one of the premier Centers in the U.S. and the world.

Genes are the blueprint of every individual. They determine the color of your eyes and other physical traits, and also have a strong influence on the diseases you may develop in your lifetime. Due to the Human Genome Project, we know more about our genetic makeup than ever before. And yet, we still know little about how genes work individually, and collectively, to affect disease processes. The La Jolla Institute, harnessing a revolutionary technology known as RNAi, is poised to change all that.

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August 22, 2011 - Institute Targets Mystery of Genes: Research at Center in La Jolla Could Lead to New Treatments, Cures Article | .pdf

August 11, 2011 - La Jolla Institute Opens Major RNAi Center for Identifying Genetic Triggers of Disease. Read more...

November 11, 2010 — San Diego Metropolitan Magazine La Jolla Institute to Develop Unique Genomics Research Lab. Read more...

October 8, 2010 — La Jolla Institute received major NIH award to develop San Diego’s first Center for RNAi genomics research Center Will Give San Diego's Biomedical Community Ready Access to Nobel-Prize Winning Technology. Read more...