Scientists have identified a new genetic risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of untreatable blindness in elderly people in developed countries. AMD is a progressive disease affecting the retinal pigment in the macular region at the back of the eye. Building on previous research, which showed that genes that control inflammation were important for developing AMD, the researchers took DNA samples from 478 people with AMD and from 555 people with no signs of the disease. They then looked for evidence of variations in genes controlling the production and suppression of cytokines – powerful chemicals involved in inflammatory processes in the body.