EPC-specific markers CD34 and CD133 and blood vessel markers CD31 and VEGF were all highly expressed in AMD retinas and graded with Minnesota Grading System (MGS) scores of 1 to 4, whereas their expression was low in retinas from healthy individuals (Figure 1), indicating that EPCs contribute to the progression of neovascular AMD. Here, CD34 is linked to age-related macular degeneration.