Chronic kidney disease (CKD) speeds up vascular calcification, the formation of calcium deposits in blood vessels. Vascular calcification can cause health problems including hypertension and heart failure that increase risk of death.

Wei Chen, M.D., M.S., has been awarded a five-year, $3.8 million National Institutes of Health grant to investigate the underlying causes of vascular calcification in patients with CKD. Her group will test their hypothesis that excessive levels of calciprotein (tiny particles made up of calcium phosphate crystals and proteins) cause calcium deposits to form in the arteries of patients with CKD. Calciprotein particles normally contribute to calcium homeostasis in the body and inhibit calcification. However, in patients with CKD, excess calciprotein particles may form and accumulate in the bloodstream to promote calcification. Using a novel method, Dr. Chen’s group will measure the size and quantity of calciprotein particle in the blood of CKD patients to see if the particles are associated with calcification of the aorta and coronary arteries. Vascular calcification will be assessed using positron-emission tomography, a state-of-the-art imaging technology. The researchers will also expose blood vessel cells to calciprotein particles isolated from the blood of CKD patients to see whether calcification occurs. Results from these studies will indicate whether targeting serum calciprotein particles might be an effective strategy for preventing vascular calcifications in patients with CKD.

Dr. Chen is an associate professor of medicine and developmental and molecular biology at Einstein and a nephrologist at Montefiore. (1R01HL172073-01)