PERK-activated autophagy increases over time.292 However, severe and persistent ER stress causes prolonged autophagy and autophagy flux through the PERK pathway and even results in RPE self-death.268 Thus, light injury ER stress is activated and causes dry AMD-like retinal lesions, including drusen, RPE alteration, and photoreceptor degeneration.283 EIF2AK3 downregulation has been discovered in patients with AMD, which lowers the PERK level. The gene discussed is EIF2AK3; the disease is age-related macular degeneration.