Could a harmless gut bug help prevent kidney stones?
NCT ID NCT03752684
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether taking a harmless bacterium called Oxalobacter formigenes could help it live in the gut and reduce the amount of oxalate passed in urine. High urine oxalate is a major risk factor for calcium oxalate kidney stones. Twenty-six healthy adults who did not already have the bacterium in their gut took a live preparation of it and followed a controlled diet. The goal was to see if the bacterium could lower urinary oxalate levels.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Oxalobacter formigenes (a harmless gut bacterium)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a natural way to lower oxalate levels and reduce the risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early study in healthy adults, not patients with kidney stones. It only looked at short-term changes in urine oxalate, so it is unclear if the effect lasts or prevents stones.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States
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