Kidney stones are one of the most common diseases in the urinary system, accounting for one-third of inpatients in the urology department. Despite treatment with surgery, about half of kidney stone patients will have a recurrence within 10 years. Kidney stones also impose a considerable economic burden on society. The traditional view is that systemic metabolic factors, such as uric acid and serum cholesterol, and local anatomic factors affect the formation of kidney stones.

Recent studies reveal that these factors distinctively work between men and women, which may provide potential measures to prevent the formation of kidney stones. However, the underlying mechanism still needs to be clarified. Kidney stone composition is an important feature reflecting the individual stone-forming environments, nevertheless it is not clear whether stones with different compositions are caused by distinct factors. Cutting-edge technology may provide a novel perspective for unraveling the factors influencing the formation and recurrence of kidney stones. The transcriptomics and epigenomics of renal papillae can depict the characteristics of the stone-forming environment. Additionally, the proteomics of urine from the bladder or renal pelvis can provide accessible biomarkers of recurrence after surgery, while the bacterial microbiota in the renal pelvis directly interacts with stone fragments and impacts the initiation and growth of stones.

This Special Issue encourages authors to submit original research and review articles on the factors influencing the formation and recurrence of kidney stones. The comprehensive review or meta-analysis are both welcomed.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Novel factors associated with new-onset stones based on population studies
• Prediction of stone recurrence after percutaneous nephrolithotomy or ureteroscopy lithotripsy
• Strategies for preventing stone recurrence
• Differences of stone-forming factors between men and women
• Association between stone composition and serum biochemical indicators
• Transcriptomics and epigenomics of renal papillae with and without present stones
• Urine proteomics form bladder or renal pelvis predicting stone formation or recurrence
• The role of bacterial microbiota in stone initiation and growth