– BCATc Inhibitor 2 exhibited an IC50 of 0.8 microM in the hBCATc assays; it is an active and selective inhibitor. BCATc Inhibitor 2 also blocked calcium influx into neuronal cells following inhibition of glutamate uptake, and demonstrated neuroprotective efficacy in vivo[1]. Branched-chain amino acid transferases (BCATs) have been implicated in catalyzing reversible transamination of isoleucine, leucine, and valine branched-chain amino acids to their corresponding α-keto acids, generating L-glutamate. It has been identified that there are two forms of BCAT in mammals: mitochondrial BCAT (BCATm) and cytosolic BCAT (BCATc). BCATc is expressed in particular brain region and involved in regulating glutamate synthesis for release during neuronal excitation. Thus, BCATc inhibition may be useful for the treatment of neurodegenerative and behavioral disorders involving disturbances of the glutamatergic system [2].