Tier 2 — strong

Metabolic and Immunomodulatory Effects of α-Ketoglutarate in Burn Injuries: A Systematic Review

Niederegger T, Munzinger R, Schaschinger T, Brandt JC, Knoedler L, Knoedler S, Palackic A, Panayi AC, Hundeshagen G
Journal of Burn Care & Research 2026 47(3):730-745

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 41504365
DOI
10.1093/jbcr/irag002
Funding
Academic burn and reconstructive-surgery affiliations are reported; full support details appear in the article.
Competing interests
No direct Ca-AKG longevity-product efficacy conclusion should be drawn from this review.

Study snapshot

DesignPRISMA-2020-compliant systematic review.
ModelClinical, animal and mechanistic AKG/OKG burn-injury literature through May 2025.
Sample15 included studies.
InterventionAKG or, more commonly, ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate in burn-care studies.
DurationVaried across included studies.
EndpointsNitrogen balance; Muscle catabolism; Wound healing; Immune modulation; Safety and translational readiness

What the study showed, in plain terms

This 2026 systematic review is the appropriate modern anchor for the older OKG burn literature.

Across 15 studies, the review found evidence that AKG/OKG—mostly OKG—can improve nitrogen balance, reduce muscle breakdown and accelerate wound closure in severe-burn settings, while also emphasizing small samples and heterogeneous designs.

It is included to contextualize related AKG salts and historical clinical use, not to support Ca-AKG longevity efficacy.

Key findings

  • Fifteen burn-related clinical, animal and mechanistic studies met inclusion criteria.
  • Clinical OKG studies supported improved nitrogen retention and faster wound healing.
  • The review judged the evidence promising but limited by heterogeneity and small cohorts.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Most clinical evidence concerns OKG rather than Ca-AKG.
  • Burn patients are a hypercatabolic clinical population unlike healthy supplement users.
  • The review does not establish longevity or biological-age benefits.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology