Leading-edge genes in this pathway include HLA-A, HLA-C, HLA-DRA, MMP9, and TGFBR1. This finding is in line with earlier research that suggested neuroinflammation is involved in late-stage AMD (Buschini et al., 2011; Racic et al., 2021). This evidence concerns the gene HLA-C and age-related macular degeneration.