Science AI Journal
Medicine · Research topic

Open research questions in Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments

155 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 612 Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The current risk assessment strategies do not fully explain the variability in stone characteristics. The biological basis for the heterogeneity in calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis is not fully understood.

    Association of plasma oxalate with computed tomography–derived stone characteristics in calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis · 2026 · DOI

  • The study was conducted in vitro and in vivo using a rat model, which may not fully represent human physiology. The sample size of the study was limited to 42 rats. The study only investigated the effects of TFDS on calcium oxalate crystallization and renal inflammation, and did not examine other potential mechanisms. The study did not investigate the long-term effects of TFDS treatment.

    Total flavonoids of Desmodium styracifolium attenuate nephrolithiasis via reducing calcium oxalate crystallization and renal inflammation · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of TFDS treatment on nephrolithiasis. The therapeutic potential of TFDS in human patients with nephrolithiasis should be investigated in clinical trials. The mechanisms by which TFDS reduces calcium oxalate crystallization and renal inflammation should be further elucidated. The effects of TFDS on other types of kidney stones should be investigated.

    Total flavonoids of Desmodium styracifolium attenuate nephrolithiasis via reducing calcium oxalate crystallization and renal inflammation · 2026 · DOI

  • potential reverse causation, - near-separation, - small sample size (only 40 cases), - lack of uniform collection of culture-confirmed urinary tract infection (UTI) data

    Factors associated with de novo urolithiasis after kidney transplantation: a matched case-control study · 2026 · DOI

  • further investigation into the relationship between serum urate and de novo urolithiasis, - examination of the effects of calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) use on serum urate levels, - study of the impact of altered metabolic status on stone formation

    Factors associated with de novo urolithiasis after kidney transplantation: a matched case-control study · 2026 · DOI

  • The relationship between DI-GM and kidney stone prevalence is not well understood. The mediation effect of diabetes on the relationship between DI-GM and kidney stone prevalence is unclear. There is a need for non-invasive, dietary-based preventive strategies for kidney stones.

    Dietary index for gut microbiota and its protective role against kidney stones: evidence of diabetes as a mediator from NHANES cross-sectional data · 2025 · DOI

  • Therefore, the findings may not be generalizable to patients with asymptomatic or conservatively managed stones or to those with other stone compositions.

    Association of plasma oxalate with computed tomography–derived stone characteristics in calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the pathomechanism of the disease and the regulation of the MUC1-fs are poorly understood.

    Characterization of the neoprotein MUC1-fs in patient-derived cells with ADTKD-MUC1 · 2026 · DOI

  • In Mauritania, clinical experience and economic data regarding this technique remain poorly documented.

    Flexible ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy in Mauritania: first national experience, clinical outcomes, and economic impact in a resource-limited setting · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the intrinsic relationship and regulatory mechanism between them in kidney stone formation remain unclear.

    CaSR regulates SLC26A6 expression via the PKA-FOXO4 signaling axis to promote experimental calcium oxalate kidney stone formation in rats · 2026 · DOI

  • Conclusion: Mini-PCNL may provide superior stone clearance and fewer retreatments than ESWL for pediatric renal stones <2 cm, but current evidence remains limited by study quality and heterogeneity.

    Mini-Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy Compared with Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy for 10-20 mm Renal Stones in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the underlying mechanism of the process of kidney stone formation and the kidney damage caused are not well understood.

    Lgals3 Promotes Calcium Oxalate Crystal Formation and Kidney Injury Through Histone Lactylation‐Mediated FGFR4 Activation · 2025 · DOI

  • While urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) is a recognized marker for kidney disease, its relationship with kidney stones, especially within the normal UACR range, remains unclear.

    Association between urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio within normal range and kidney stones in U.S. adults: a cross-sectional observational study · 2025 · DOI

  • The role of DI-GM and its mediation by diabetes in KS pathogenesis remains unclear.

    Dietary index for gut microbiota and its protective role against kidney stones: evidence of diabetes as a mediator from NHANES cross-sectional data · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the link between the skeletal muscle-to-visceral fat ratio (SVR) and kidney stone risk remains to be clarified.

    Association between the skeletal muscle-to-visceral fat ratio and kidney stones: a cross-sectional study · 2025 · DOI

  • Comprehensive research on the global burden and evolving trends of urinary calculi in the 20-54 age range is lacking.

    Epidemiological trends of urolithiasis in working-age populations: Findings from the global burden of disease study 1990–2021 · 2025 · DOI

  • While most children maintained normal renal function, the relationship between NC and renal functional decline warrants further investigation.

    Clinical characteristics of nephrocalcinosis in a tertiary children's hospital · 2025 · DOI

  • Although it may pose a problem in developing countries, it has not been adequately studied in the Middle East.

    First retrospective study on pediatric nephrocalcinosis in Syria: clinical symptoms and causes · 2025 · DOI

  • , probiotics) as an adjunctive strategy, while antibiotic stewardship is warranted to minimize microbiota disruption.

    Dysbiosis of gut and urinary microbiota in urolithiasis patients and post-surgical cases · 2025 · DOI

  • Nevertheless, the relationship between NHHR and the risk of kidney stones remains unexplored.

    Association between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) and kidney stone: evidence from NHANES 2007–2018 · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the relationship between the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI), a crucial measure used to assess an individual’s overall antioxidant capacity from daily dietary intake, and kidney stones remains unclear.

    Association between composite dietary antioxidant index and kidney stone prevalence in adults: data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2007–2018) · 2024 · DOI

  • Although the gut microbiome has a notable association with KSD formation, the relationship between dietary live microbes and KSD risk remains underexplored.

    Association of dietary live microbe intake with kidney stone disease in US adults: a real-world cross-sectional study · 2024 · DOI

  • For diseases influenced by lifestyle, conclusive evidence on targeted interventions for nephrolithiasis prevention is lacking, though preliminary research suggests potential benefits.

    The Multidisciplinary Approach in the Management of Patients with Kidney Stone Disease—A State-of-the-Art Review · 2024 · DOI

  • The effects of vitamins and physical activity on kidney stone risk remain unresolved due to mixed evidence.

    The Multidisciplinary Approach in the Management of Patients with Kidney Stone Disease—A State-of-the-Art Review · 2024 · DOI

  • Manual interpretation of CT images is time-consuming and subject to variability. There is a need for automated methods for kidney stone detection.

    Urological diagnostics based on kidney stone detection in CT imaging using YOLOv8 deep learning framework · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments sub-topic

This page shows what the Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Medicine

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
2,044 open questions
Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
1,964 open questions
Smoking Behavior and Cessation
990 open questions
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
974 open questions
Innovations in Medical Education
960 open questions
Physical Activity and Health
923 open questions
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
839 open questions
Schizophrenia research and treatment
709 open questions
155 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 612 Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.