SPP1 and nephrolithiasis: Moreover, recent research suggests that in ossification mechanism, there is a significant relationship between the active participation of proteins (i.e., osteopontin, bone sialoprotein, and bone morphogenetic protein 2) and transcription factors (i.e., core-binding factor α and runt-related transcription factor 2), which is also involved in the early phases of kidney stone formation and arterial calcification [31–35].