Animal models of age-related macular degeneration and their translatability into the clinic.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 55. Despite its common nature, the etiology of the disease involves both genetic and environmental factors, the interaction of which is not fully understood. Animal models, including the mouse, rat, rabbit, pig and non-human primate, have been developed to study various aspects of the disease and to evaluate novel therapies; however, no single model has been developed to emulate all aspects of the disease. This review will discuss the various existing models of AMD, their strengths and limitations and examples of their use in current AMD research.