From compliment to insult: Genetics of the complement system in physiology and disease in the human retina

Abstract

Age-relatedmacular degeneration (AMD) is amajor cause of visual impairment that affects the central retina. Genome wide association studies and candidate gene screens have identifiedmembers of the complement pathway as contributing to the risk of AMD. In this review, we discuss the complement system, its importance in retinal development and normal physiology, how its dysregulation may contribute to disease, and how itmight be targeted to prevent damage to the aging choriocapillaris in AMD.