Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the predominant cause of blindness in the
industrialized world where destruction of the macula, ie the central region of the retina,
results in loss of vision. AMD is preceded by the formation of deposits in the macula, which
accumulate between the Bruch's membrane and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).
These deposits are associated with complement-mediated inflammation and perturb retinal
function. Recent genetic association studies have demonstrated that a common allele …