The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Kidney Stone Disease

It is evident that microbiome dysbiosis is closely related to the etiology of KSD and influences a multitude of pathways. Due to our knowledge gaps on this topic, it is still unclear if microbiome interventions can be translated to demonstrate clinical efficacy. Current evidence suggests that the enhancement of butyrate-producing pathways should be the next step for KSD research and translation into a clinical setting. There are a number of tools for accomplishing this and include probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotic, postbiotics, and FMT, each with their own advantages and risks. While we are not yet at a point where we can make clinical recommendations for KSD, there are many simple dietary or supplement-based approaches that could be applied in the future for prophylaxis or treatment of KSD.