Nanobacteria: an alternative mechanism for pathogenic intra- and extracellular calcification and stone formation.

Abstract in brief

• Nanobacteria are tiny bacteria recently discovered in human and cow blood that can produce mineral deposits called carbonate apatite, which is similar to the minerals found in diseases like kidney stones and tissue calcification.
• The study shows that these bacteria can create biofilms and mineral clusters both inside and outside cells without needing high pH levels, challenging previous ideas that alkaline conditions are necessary for stone formation.
• Overall, nanobacteria might serve as a new model to understand how calcifications such as kidney stones develop, as they can produce mineral deposits under normal body conditions.]