NEI-funded research finds AMD-linked gene

Washington, DC-Legislators on Capitol Hill heard first-hand how their funding of National Eye Institute (NEI) research is advancing the understanding of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

In a recent briefing, Gregory S. Hageman, PhD, of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, discussed the recent discovery by NEI-funded researchers of a gene that is strongly associated with a person's risk of developing AMD.

The gene, Component Factor H, is associated with the body's inflammatory response, and the proteins produced in this pathway have been found in drusen deposits in eyes with "dry" AMD.