The BBC (10/14) reported that, as a result of a six-year research program in which "more than 1,000 patients" took part, "scientists from Southampton University claim to have discovered a gene responsible for" Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), "the most common cause of blindness in the western world."

The gene, called Serping 1, is found "in 25 percent of people with AMD," and "causes the immune system to overwork, attacking the eye," even though "the effects can take 70 years to develop."

The researchers hope that "the discovery will help scientists develop new forms of treatment and early screening programs."