As few miRNAs have been functionally linked to specific retinal pathways involving phagocytosis, these studies were undertaken to further understand the involvement of specific, retinal-enriched, inducible miRNAs in the molecular-genetic mechanism that drives amyloidogenesis, TREM2 down-regulation, drusen formation and AMD-type change. The gene discussed is TREM2; the disease is age-related macular degeneration.