Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a blinding disease that affects about 7.4 Million individuals in Germany. Researchers at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut as part of an international consortium have uncovered a mechanism that is based on the activation of mobile genetic elements (retrotransposons) in the genome and leads to damage and death of cells of the retina in patients suffering from dry AMD. A meta-analysis of health insurance data was carried out, confirming these findings. PNAS reports on these results in its online edition of 01 February 2021.