Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of vision loss and impairment in the aging population in developed countries. It is clinically and genetically a complex disease with both environmental and genetic factors affecting the outcome of the disease. Other than the wet type of AMD, there is no treatment for the other forms of AMD. It is estimated that the number of AMD patients will double in the next decade, which will have a significant financial impact on the health system and will compete for health dollars. Understanding the role of genetics in the development of AMD is paramount to help with diagnosis and future treatment. Over the past few years, we have studied the genetics of AMD and reported modest to significant association between AMD and several genes including CFH, ARMS2, TLR4 and ApoE. Our recent genome-wide association studies confirmed these AMD susceptibility loci in addition to other genes in the complement system (C2, C3, CFB and CFI). Recent studies identified new loci near TIMP3 and HDL influencing susceptibility to AMD.
Genome-Wide Association Studies-Based Machine Learning for Prediction of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Risk