SLC1A2 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Glutamate clearance is a fundamental process of astrocytes and is disturbed in pathological conditions. For example, in ALS, the glutamate transporter EAAT2 is lost in astrocytes suggesting a causal relationship between neuronal excitotoxicity and EAAT2 loss in astrocytes [13]; additionally, loss of functionality of glutamate transporters is associated with various other neurological disorders [54–56].