A2M, Official Symbol A2Mprovided by HGNC Official Full Name alpha-2-macroglobulinprovided by HGNC Primary source HGNC:HGNC:7 See related Ensembl:ENSG00000175899 MIM:103950; AllianceGenome:HGNC:7 Gene type protein coding RefSeq status REVIEWED Organism Homo sapiens Lineage Eukaryota; Metazoa; Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Euteleostomi; Mammalia; Eutheria; Euarchontoglires; Primates; Haplorrhini; Catarrhini; Hominidae; Homo Also known as A2MD; CPAMD5; FWP007; S863-7 Summary The protein encoded by this gene is a protease inhibitor and cytokine transporter. It uses a bait-and-trap mechanism to inhibit a broad spectrum of proteases, including trypsin, thrombin and collagenase. It can also inhibit inflammatory cytokines, and it thus disrupts inflammatory cascades. Mutations in this gene are a cause of alpha-2-macroglobulin deficiency. This gene is implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to its ability to mediate the clearance and degradation of A-beta, the major component of beta-amyloid deposits. A related pseudogene, which is also located on the p arm of chromosome 12, has been identified. [provided by RefSeq, Nov 2016] Expression Broad expression in lung (RPKM 732.0), urinary bladder (RPKM 374.7) and 21 other tissues See more Orthologs all Are we justified in saying that "A2M is a protease inhibitor."? Yes or no?