Kidney Stone Metabolism and Immune Mechanism Research
Kidney stones are a painfully-prevalent, recurrent problem in the United States but particularly in the state of Florida. The Department of Urology has 8 active researchers involved in a number of clinical, translational, and basic science projects to improve the lives of kidney stone formers. In line with the long tradition of high quality, oxalate metabolic research at UF, our laboratory studies how certain gut bacteria can lower the amount of oxalate absorbed or excreted by the GI tract, how “spot” measurements of an individual’s oxalate can lead to more personalized medicine, and the role of oxalate and inflammation in the development of stones in the renal papilla. In addition, our group is exploring the role of the body’s immune system in clearing small renal papillary calcifications, believed to be the embryos of larger kidney stones. These novel approaches to stone disease are unique to UF and have the potential to affect the way urologists treat kidney stones worldwide.
Need: funding to support for stone research and equipment
Involved Faculty: Benjamin Canales MD, Vincent Bird MD, Saeed Khan PhD, Victoria Bird MD, Brandon Otto MD, Paul Dominguez Gutierrez PhD, and T32 Fellows Allison O’Kell DVM and William Donelan PhD
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