The biosynthetic and degradative enzymes of NAA metabolism, aspartate N-acetyltransferase (Asp-NAT; gene NAT8L), and ASPA respectively, have now been detected in a number of cancer cell types, indicating that local NAA synthesis and metabolism were possible in certain cancers despite the fact that the tissues of origin for the cancers do not normally synthesize NAA. The gene discussed is ASPA; the disease is cancer.