Study uncovers link between chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease

Chronic kidney disease is linked to the formation of mineral deposits on blood vessel walls, known as calcification, causing cardiovascular disease. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs)—small, enclosed structures outside cells—can transmit signaling molecules between cells, but their biological roles are not fully understood. Now, malicious sEVs originating from chronic kidney disease have been shown to play a role in blood vessel calcification through a signaling pathway called VEGFA.