Author Description

Carbon monoxide has long been misconstrued as a useless toxic gas. While the therapeutic wonder of this molecule has profound pre-clinical data to treat numerous indications, it has remained elusive from the physician's toolbox. This text introduces α-keto acids as an alternative source for carbon monoxide therapeutics with a survey of physiologically relevant α-keto acids and their role in disease, noting synergism between α-keto acids and the heme oxygenase system. The text includes discussion on carbon monoxide from amino acids, keto acids, vitamin C, the microbiome, and more sources that have not previously been discussed in carbon monoxde/heme oxygenase literature. Furthermore, the findings are applied to the Ketogenic, Atkins, and Paleo Diets, and Linus Pauling's claim regarding vitamin C. The text cites over 600 scholarly articles to narrate the α-keto acid findings. It is most appropriate for a scientific audience with a background in pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences, biochemistry, chemistry, biology, translational medicine, and closely related disciplines.