AADAT (aminoadipate aminotransferase) is a mitochondrial transaminase with broad substrate specificity that catalyzes the conversion of alpha-aminoadipate to alpha-ketoadipate in lysine degradation 1. The enzyme demonstrates transaminase activity toward aminoadipate, kynurenine, methionine, and tryptophan metabolites, preferentially using 2-oxoglutarate as an amino-group acceptor 1. AADAT plays critical roles in multiple metabolic pathways relevant to human disease. In inflammatory bowel disease, AADAT-mediated generation of xanthurenic and kynurenic acids protects intestinal epithelial cells and T cells through aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation 2. The enzyme is implicated in thyroid hormone regulation 3 and genetic variants in AADAT associate with depression risk through tryptophan-kynurenine pathway alterations 4. In triple-negative breast cancer, high AADAT expression correlates with reduced CD8+ T-cell infiltration and inferior survival; AADAT knockdown enhances anti-tumor immunity by disrupting CoQ10-supported redox homeostasis and increasing malate accumulation 5. Additionally, AADAT expression expands in primate dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, where kynurenic acid production impairs working memory through NMDA and α7-nicotinic receptor blockade in neuroinflammatory conditions 6. Recent evidence also suggests AADAT variants influence lung function decline 7, highlighting its broad physiological significance.