Oxalobacter formigenes: A new hope as a live biotherapeutic agent in the management of calcium oxalate renal stones

Anaerobe. 2022 Jun:75:102572. doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102572. Epub 2022 Apr 17.

Abstract

Recent advances in understanding the association of gut microbiota with the host have shown evidence of certain bacterial therapeutic potentiality in preventing and treating metabolic diseases. Hyperoxaluria is a severe challenge in nephrology and has led to the novel gut eubiosis as current therapy. The human gut commensal, obligate anaerobic, and intestinal oxalate-degrading strains of Oxalobacter formigenes have drawn a promising significant interest for the next-generation probiotics (NGPs). This nonpathogenic, potential probiotic, and specialist oxalotrophic properties of O. formigenes give a new hope as a live biotherapeutic agent for calcium oxalate renal therapy. Numerous satisfactory outcomes of in vitro and in vivo studies were achieved on evaluating O. formigenes functionality, but the commercial production of this bacterium is yet to be achieved. This bacterium finds diverse application in dietary and endogenous oxalate degradation and the improvement of gut health, on which we concentrated our attention in this review. The relationship between good anaerobic gut bacterial dysbiosis and renal complications is comprehensively discussed to address the need for the development probiotic formulation. However, the commercial production of this bacteria on a broad scale is complex, with numerous obstacles, mainly because they are oxygen-sensitive and difficult to culture. This review will coherently present the current and available methodologies in producing, stabilizing, and delivering these NGPs to treat calcium stones. Moreover, the study presents the extensive work and key milestones achieved in the research on O. formigenes from tale to the truth.

Keywords: Eubiosis; Hyperoxaluria; Microbiome; Next-generation probiotics; Oxalobacter formigenes.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / metabolism
  • Calcium Oxalate / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hyperoxaluria* / complications
  • Hyperoxaluria* / prevention & control
  • Oxalates / metabolism
  • Oxalobacter formigenes / metabolism
  • Probiotics* / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Oxalates
  • Calcium Oxalate