Two molecules from the UIB against kidney stones reach the guide of the USA urologists

PalmaThe American Urological Association (AUA) has incorporated for the first time into its reference guide for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of kidney stones the use of phytate and theobromine, two molecules developed and patented by researchers from the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB).

The new guide, published in July 2026 and which replaces the previous one from 2014, is an international reference for professionals who treat kidney stones, a pathology that affects millions of people around the world and that presents a high recurrence rate. The AUA's recommendations have also influenced the guides and protocols adopted by numerous scientific societies and healthcare centers.

The director of the UIB's Renal Calculus research group, Fèlix Grases, highlighted in a press conference reported by Europa Press that the incorporation of these two molecules into the North American guide is a "rare" event. "It is very satisfying because they recognize the effect of these products," he stated.

Phytate is a natural substance present in plant-based foods that acts as an inhibitor of calcium salt crystallization, one of the processes involved in the formation of kidney stones. For its part, theobromine, a compound found naturally in cocoa, has also demonstrated the ability to hinder the formation of calcium stones.

As explained by the UIB, this "international recognition reinforces the positioning" of the UIB as a leading institution in the study of the mechanisms of kidney stone formation and in the development of "new strategies to improve the health and quality of life of people affected by this disease".

90s

For the study of phytates, which began to be analyzed in the 90s, checks have been carried out in vitro, it has been scaled up to animals with rats and, subsequently, with humans, in all cases with good results. In 2010 it was discovered that this substance also served to treat osteoporosis.

The study of theobromine also began in the 90s, although the principal investigator of the renal lithiasis and pathological classification group at the UIB, Antonia Acosta, has acknowledged that the results "were not positive". Even so, the research continued and in 2007 the cocoa compound was found, which allowed for continued progress and favorable results.

The research developed at the UIB has contributed to demonstrating the preventive nature of both molecules and has led to various patents and applications aimed at renal health. In this line, Grases has assured that the university is a "pioneer" in the research of these molecules.