[Development of strategy for study of pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible severe vision loss among people over the age of 50 and a major cause of blindness among people aged over 65 in developed countries. With the improvement of China's economic levels and entering the aging society with an acceleration speed, the growing number of AMD patients has become an increasing concern of the whole society. The etiology and pathogenesis of AMD are still not clear and this is a hot spot for ophthalmic research around the world. Currently thoughts that environment factors and genes, oxidative damage, inflammation, immune reaction, imbalance between angiogenesis factors and anti-angiogenesis factors, etc. are all involved in the occurrence and development of AMD. However, how to explore the pathogenesis of AMD in Chinese population from the complex reported literature deserved attention. The authors suppose that we should start from analysis of controversy and find a breakthrough in the dispute, to explore the pathogenesis of AMD in Chinese population.