Boost for AMD research as 13 new genetic factors are found

Scientists have identified 13 new genetic factors linked to the risk of age-related macular degeneration that could serve as therapeutic targets for potential drug development.

An international team from Moorfields and researchers at UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology announced the findings this week, saying they widened understanding of the biological processes leading to AMD.

According to the research results, which were published in the journal Nature Genetics, a study of 43,000 people identified 13 new regions of the genome loci that influence the risk of AMD. Worldwide this increased the number of known loci to 34.