This differential susceptibility suggests that while healthy, polarized cells forming the RPE monolayer in vivo may be resistant to injures leading to an eventual Cer increase, non-polarized, activated RPE cells, frequent in late AMD lesions and in proliferative vitreoretinopathies, might be more susceptible to increased Cer levels resulting from chronic retina injuries (Figure 3). The gene discussed is CBLN1; the disease is age-related macular degeneration.