2026/07/15 by Odin Bottrill, Franca Jones, Mauro Mocerino
Medicine · #Gout, Hyperuricemia, Uric Acid #Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments #Thyroid Disorders and Treatments
paper · doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2026.128755
Understanding the formation of monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU), the major component of gout, is of major importance to understand the pathology of this condition. The impact of amino acids (lysine, aspartic acid, glycine and alanine) on the development of the MSU solids is the focus of this study. The amino acids were investigated from the aspect of crystal growth modifiers and were chosen to cover a variety of functional groups, explore the impact a side chain had and determine if their stereochemistry was important. Infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-Ray diffraction coupled with Rietveld fitting was used to determine any effects. Lysine and aspartic acid were found to have the most significant impacts, showing that these additives may incorporate into the crystal lattice resulting in changes to the morphology and XRD pattern. The presence of glycine and alanine had minor impacts on the crystals suggesting an adsorption mechanism of interaction. Hence, small molecules, such as the amino acids, should not be overlooked when dealing with biological fluids. It is important to determine whether these molecules have an impact or not rather than make assumptions.