Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the developed world. In 2004, AMD affected 1.75 million persons in the United States, a number which is expected to rise to nearly 3 million by 2020 due to the aging of the population. AMD is characterized by the appearance of involutional changes (e.g. drusen) in the structure of the central retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) leading to the loss of normal central (macular) vision. AMD can be categorized as dry (non-exudative) or wet (exudative). Dry AMD represents the great majority of AMD patients (90%)...