Reptile Waste Holds Key to Preventing Painful Human Conditions

On November 16, 2025, scientists revealed that the way reptiles process and excrete waste could lead to new treatments for painful human conditions like kidney stones and gout. Researchers recently examined the solid urine of over 20 reptile species and found that it contained tiny spheres made of uric acid.

This discovery underscores how reptiles have evolved a unique method of storing and expelling waste in a crystalline form. Unlike humans, who flush out excess nitrogen through urea, uric acid, and ammonia, reptiles transform some of these compounds into solid "urates" that are then expelled.

While this crystal formation helps reptiles survive, the same process causes major problems in humans. High uric acid levels can lead to the buildup of crystals in joints (gout) or the urinary tract (kidney stones). The researchers believe the chemistry behind reptile waste could one day inspire the development of better ways to treat these uric acid-related diseases in people.

The findings suggest reptiles may have found a protective role for uric acid that could inform new approaches to disease prevention and treatment in humans. As corresponding author Jennifer Swift of Georgetown University stated, "This research was really inspired by a desire to understand the ways reptiles are able to excrete this material safely, in the hopes it might inspire new approaches to disease prevention and treatment."