Crystals

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Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

COVID-19 appeared a little over two years ago, yet in that short period of time we have managed to develop a number of vaccines for it. Indeed, one of the many lessons that COVID-19 has taught us is that when the scientific world comes together, anything is possible.

If that is the case, however, how is it possible that we still do not have a cure for or know the exact mechanism of formation of numerous other diseases or method(s) to prevent their formation, e.g., the formation of pathological minerals? There are various articles on biomineralization and pathological mineralization, but we are still looking for innovative works that will tell us what we can and cannot do to prevent the formation of pathological minerals.

In this Special Issue entitled "Pathological Biomineralization: Recent Advances and Perspectives", our goal is to collect as many scientific articles (reviews or research/original) as possible which deal with the discovery of the causes of the formation of pathological minerals and their treatment. We kindly invite you to contribute to this Special Issue. Short communications, review articles, and full-size research papers are all welcome.

Dr. Anamarija Stanković
Dr. Martina Medvidović-Kosanović
Dr. Nives Matijaković Mlinarić
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

pathological mineralization
spontaneous precipitations
kinetics of precipitation
additives
biomineralization
crystallization

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 2348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Kidney Stones: Crystal Characterization

by Carmen González-Enguita and Rosario García-Giménez

Crystals 2024, 14(3), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14030238 - 29 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1113

Abstract

The variety of types that appear in kidney stones makes it necessary to describe them to try to understand their formation. The crystalline phases recognized in stones are classified according to their chemical composition. For this reason, a study using X-ray microdiffraction, Raman spectroscopy, SEM/EDX analysis, and cathodoluminescence (CL) is recommended, to identify their composition. In the present study, this was carried out on kidney stones collected from surgeries in hospitals from Spain. The samples were collected in two representative urban centers: one from a large city, Madrid; the other with a mostly rural population, in order to contrast the possible compositions of the kidney stones. In large cities, struvite appears more frequently, although calcium oxalates are very common in both areas. An attempt was made to provide a guide to the most frequent phases, accompanied by four analysis methods that make their identification possible. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathological Biomineralization: Recent Advances and Perspectives)

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Review

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14 pages, 916 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Mechanistic Insight into Beneficial Effects of Polyphenols in the Prevention and Treatment of Nephrolithiasis: Evidence from Recent In Vitro Studies

by Marija Hefer, Ivana Mihin Huskic, Ana Petrovic, Nikola Raguz-Lucic, Tomislav Kizivat, Dominik Gjoni, Elizabeta Horvatic, Zarko Udiljak, Robert Smolic, Aleksandar Vcev and Martina Smolic

Crystals 2023, 13(7), 1070; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13071070 - 7 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1401

Abstract

Nephrolithiasis is a pathological condition characterized by the formation of solid crystals in the kidneys or other parts of urinary tract. Kidney stones are a serious public health issue and financial burden for health care system, as well as a painful and uncomfortable condition for patients, resulting in renal tissue injury in severe cases. Dietary habits, low fluid and high salt intake predominantly, contribute to the development of kidney stones. Current research suggests that polyphenols have a protective effect in the pathogenesis of kidney stones. Polyphenols are a group of naturally occurring compounds found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, tea, and coffee. In this review, we explore mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of polyphenols, such as oxidative stress reduction and modulation of inflammatory pathways, in various in vitro models of nephrolithiasis. Additionally, certain polyphenols, such as catechins found in green tea, have been shown to inhibit the formation and growth of kidney stones in animal studies. This review highlights the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as the inhibition of crystal formation, as results of polyphenol treatment in vitro. Further research is required to determine the specific effects of polyphenols on kidney stone formation in humans; however, current knowledge implicates that incorporating a variety of polyphenol-rich foods into the diet may be a beneficial strategy for individuals at risk of developing nephrolithiasis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathological Biomineralization: Recent Advances and Perspectives)

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