MORPHOLOGY STUDIES ON URATE CRYSTALS: A NEW PATHWAY FOR THE TREATMENT OF GOUT?

Featuring Prof. Ulrich Baisch, Chemistry, Faculty of Science at University of Malta

Most purines form crystals when they precipitate out of solution, some of which deposit in various parts of the body, especially in the joints. The latter is responsible for the medical condition known as gout, which is characterised by inflammation. With this in mind, morphology studies, including different diffraction techniques, were designed to explore whether the shape of these crystals that form in the body can be altered and thus, offer a different way to treat gout.

48 min.