This gene encodes a preproprotein that is proteolytically processed to form multiple protein products. The major encoded protein product, lactadherin, is a membrane glycoprotein that promotes phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. This protein has also been implicated in wound healing, autoimmune disease, and cancer. Lactadherin can be further processed to form a smaller cleavage product, medin, which comprises the major protein component of aortic medial amyloid (AMA). Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2015]