Renal calculi (kidney stones) are mainly made by calcium oxalate and can cause different complications including malfunction of the kidney. The most important urinary stone inhibitors are citrate molecules. Unfortunately, the amount of citrate reaching the kidney after oral ingestion is low. We hypothesized that nanoparticles of polyallylamine hydrochloride (CIT-PAH) carrying citrate ions could simultaneously deliver citrates while PAH would complex oxalate triggering dissolution and removal of CaOx nanocrystals.
Our findings could lead to a novel strategy for dissolving kidney stones using nanoparticles, mechanistically acting through a localized delivery of citrate ions and polymer complexation of oxalates.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.04.185