Understanding how oxalate affects kidney stone formation and immune response
Official title: Oxalate-Driven Host Responses in Kidney Stone Disease
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11163258 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how eating foods high in oxalate might lead to kidney stones and how it affects kidney health, so if you've had kidney stones before, this research could help find ways to prevent them from coming back.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $542,402 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK129885-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11163258 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults who have experienced recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stones.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have never had kidney stones or those with kidney stones of a different composition may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the relationship between dietary oxalate intake and the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones, which are a common and painful condition. It aims to understand how high oxalate diets may lead to the formation of crystals in the urine and how this process affects immune responses in the kidneys. By conducting human studies and experimental models, the research will explore the effects of different oxalate levels on kidney health and inflammation. The findings could help identify dietary factors that contribute to kidney stone recurrence.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved dietary recommendations and treatments for individuals prone to kidney stones.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the impact of dietary factors on kidney stone formation, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mitchell, Tanecia R — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Mitchell, Tanecia R
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Uromodulin and peptides as new targets in kidney stone biology
This NIH grant explores how a urine protein called uromodulin and its peptide pieces influence calcium oxalate kidney stones, using dogs and human biology to understand why stones form and how to prevent them.
-
Oxalate‑eating probiotic to help prevent kidney stones
A new probiotic strain is being developed to help prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones by breaking down oxalic acid in the gut.
-
Oxalate and your immune system in kidney stones
This grant looks at how oxalate in our diet affects kidney stone risk and our immune cells, especially in adults with calcium oxalate stones.
-
How the kidney channel claudin‑2 affects calcium balance and calcium kidney stones
This project looks at how a kidney channel called claudin‑2 helps keep calcium from building up and forming calcium kidney stones.
-
Oxalate balance in people with calcium oxalate kidney stones
This project will find out why some adults make or absorb extra oxalate that increases the chance of calcium oxalate kidney stones.
-
A Probiotic to Prevent Kidney Stones
This project is developing a new probiotic to help people prevent kidney stones by breaking down a key substance called oxalic acid.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.