Previous studies have indicated that MMPs and TIMPs play important roles in early AMD [33] and nAMD [34-36], but are more likely to be imbalanced at a local tissue in the eye, similar to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is elevated in the aqueous humor and vitreous of patients with nAMD [37] but not in the serum [38]. This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and age-related macular degeneration.