To uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in immune system activation and regulation in AMD, we examined aspects of early, dry AMD in the following: human AMD patient samples, a mouse model with an early, dry AMD-like phenotype (the Cryba1 cKO)16, NOD-SCID immunodeficient mice and LCN-2−/− mice. The gene discussed is LCN2; the disease is dry age related macular degeneration.