Researchers identify new potential mechanism for age-related macular degeneration Using laboratory-grown roundworms as well as human and mouse eye tissue, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have identified a new potential mechanism for age-related macular degeneration-;the leading cause of blindness among older adults. The UMSOM researchers say that the findings suggest a new and distinct cause that is different from the previous model of a problematic immune system, showing that the structural organization of the eye's light-detecting cells may be affected by the disease. The discovery offers the potential to identify new molecular targets to treat the disease. Their discovery was published on April 12 in the