MERTK and age-related macular degeneration: The ability to rescue phagocytosis despite loss of phagocytic receptor function may lead to broader therapeutic applications in the RPE beyond MerTK dysfunction, including an age-related decline in phagocytosis, which may contribute to age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness (Inana et al., 2018; Sparrow et al., 2010).