Tributyrin Treatment and Prophylaxis of Recurrent Calcium Oxalate Nephrolithiasis

Kidney stone disease (KSD) is a condition where there are crystal deposits in the kidney, which affects around 10 percent of Canadians. These kidney stones can be painful to pass, and can cause lasting damage to the urinary tract. This places a large burden on the healthcare system and therefore there is motivation to further understand what causes kidney stones and how we can prevent them. The gut microbiome is a community of bacteria living in the gut which can produce substances such as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Individuals with KSD have a different makeup of their gut microbiome and lower amounts of these SCFAs compared to healthy individuals. Tributyrin is a supplement which can increase levels of SCFAs. Our data from animal studies indicate that tributyrin supplementation may be able to reduce kidney stone formation. This project aims to understand if tributyrin supplementation helps in prevention or treatment of those with KSD. This pilot clinical trial investigating tributyrin supplementation in individuals with KSD will be conducted in The Stone Centre at Vancouver General Hospital. It will provide a better understanding of the role of the gut microbiome in KSD, as well as explore another avenue of microbiome focused treatments for those with KSD. 

Sarah Hanstock is funded for this project by the CANTRAIN-CTTP & Michael Smith Health Research BC Doctoral Studentship 2023 Award Program. This project will be conducted in The Stone Centre at Vancouver General Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Dirk Lange and Dr. Ben Chew. The Stone Centre is a translational research facility which has an international reputation for its care, treatment, and research of kidney stone disease.

End of Award Update – December 2024

Results

I successfully prepared and planned the necessary documents and protocols for our upcoming human trial with ethics approval submitted. Since we are in the early stages of this project there are unfortunately no results to share. 

Impact

This research expands the knowledge gaps around the relationship between the gut microbiome and kidney stone disease.  

Potential Influence

Upon completion this project may influence future treatment and prevention of kidney stone disease. 

Next Steps

Since this project is still in its early stages our research group at The Stone Centre plans to continue this project to complete the human trial followed by knowledge dissemination of our findings.