Urolithiasis is a very common condition in the United States, with an estimated prevalence of 11.7% by age 70. Furthermore, it has been associated with considerable patient morbidity and occasional mortality (Stamatelou, Francis et al. 2003). Direct costs associated with the treatment of renal calculi are enormous, as over 600,000 stone related medical procedures are performed annually in the United States (shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), ureteroscopy (URS), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PERC), stone removal, ureteral stents, and stone basketing (source: Boston Scientific Corporation). Although the last two decades have seen considerable advances in less invasive techniques for the treatment of symptomatic stone episodes, as well as progress in mitigating the risks of new stone formation, our knowledge of the inciting lesion in human urolithiasis remains rudimentary and much debated.