APOE and age-related macular degeneration: At least 3 lines of evidence show that ApoE and cholesterol are major players in AMD pathogenesis: the RPE is the primary biosynthetic source of ApoE in the retina; ApoE secretion by polarized RPE monolayers is increased upon complement exposure (6, 15, 16); and drusen from AMD eyes are rich in cholesterol and ApoE (5).