钙化性纳米颗粒(CNPs)是一种磷酸钙和蛋白质共同形成的纳米大小的球形复合物,具有自我复制的功能,曾被称为“纳米细菌”。然而在其被发现27年后,它们的性质仍未完全确定,到目前为止,没有人能够确定它们是否是地球上最小的能够自我复制的生命形式,抑或简单的蛋白质-矿物质组合体。同时,由于这些生物体主要从泌尿生殖道被分离出来,因此,越来越多的研究关注了这种颗粒在泌尿系统疾病病因学中所发挥的作用,包括肾结石、多囊肾以及慢性Ⅲ型前列腺炎(慢性盆腔疼痛综合征)。本文综述了钙化性纳米微粒的当前研究现状,并探索这些粒子如何影响泌尿系疾病。 Calcification nanoparticles (CNPs) are nano-sized spherical complexes of calcium phosphate and protein that are self-replicating and have been called “nanobacteria.” However, after 27 years of their discovery, their nature has not yet been fully defined, and so far no one has been able to determine whether they are the smallest form of life on earth that can replicate themselves, or simply protein-mineral assemblages. At the same time, as these organisms are predominantly isolated from the urogenital tract, there is a growing body of research that focuses on the role of such particles in the etiology of urologic diseases, including kidney stones, polycystic kidney disease and chronic Prostatitis (chronic pelvic pain syndrome). This review summarizes the current state of research on calcified nanoparticles and explores how these particles affect urological disorders.