The Golestaneh lab showed then that RPE cells obtained from deceased AMD donors displayed upregulated PARP2 (poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 2), decreased NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), and dysfunctional AMPK (5′ AMP-activated protein kinase)/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathways as compared with RPE cells obtained from non-AMD eyes. This evidence concerns the gene SIRT1 and age-related macular degeneration.