Pharmacology of stone disease

Abstract

Kidney stone disease remains a major health and economic burden on the nation. It has been increasingly recognized that nephrolithiasis can be both a chronic or systemic illness. There have been major limitations in the development of new drugs for the prevention and management of this disease, largely due to our lack of understanding of the complex pathophysiologic mechanisms involving the interaction of three major target organs: the kidney, bone, and intestine. We also do not yet understand the molecular genetic basis of this polygenic disorder. These limitations are coupled with the incorrect perception that kidney stone disease is solely an acute illness, and the lack of reliable tests to assess outcome measures. All of these factors combined have diminished the willingness of the pharmaceutical industry to engage in the development of novel drugs.

Figure 1

Pharmacologic treatment, facilitating ureteral stone passage: α-blockers versus calcium-channel blockers (±steroids). (Adapted with permission from Hollingsworth et al.11)

Figure 2

Randomized treatment trials for the prevention of recurrent calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. (Adapted with permission from Coe et al.31)