Rare diseases are defined as chronic diseases that affect only 0.05% of the population or less. While rare diseases may appear to be individually rare, they are quite common globally. There are over 7, 000 known rare diseases which affect about 8% of the world’s population. The vast majority of these diseases are caused by genetic mutations and have no treatments. Most doctors are unaware of these diseases and many patients go years without a diagnosis, making the diagnosis and care of these patients a tremendous unmet need.
The California Center for Rare Diseases (CCRD) at UCLA collaborates with physicians, scientists and patients to transform the lives of patients with rare disease by:
View the video below to learn more:
Genomic Characterization Program for Undiagnosed Diseases
The CCRD’s ultimate goal for this program is to find specific changes in the genome that are responsible for your symptoms and hopefully find a diagnosis. As a participant of this program, you will receive:
To enroll in the Genomic Characterization Program, please visit Become a Patient.
Treatment for Patients with Rare, Genetic Diseases
Our clinic offers personalized and advanced treatments to adult and pediatric patients with rare, genetic diseases. These treatments are guided by genetics and other biochemical testing. The clinical areas that our clinic provides treatment options for include but are not limited to:
If you or a family member have one of these rare, genetic disorders and would like to schedule a consult, please visit
