Evidence that locally derived ApoE-containing lipoproteins contribute to drusen biogenesis comes from studies showing that human RPE cells are capable of synthesizing and secreting ApoE.54,55 In addition, a cell culture model of drusen biogenesis developed by Johnson et al. using primary human RPE cells exposed to human serum that mimics several aspects of early AMD showed accumulation of drusen-like deposits that contain ApoE and other drusen-associated proteins.56 The gene discussed is APOE; the disease is age-related macular degeneration.