Extracellular Vesicles in the Gut-Vascular-Brain Axis: A Missing Mechanistic Link Between IBD and Stroke Risk

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasingly recognized as a systemic inflammatory disorder associated with elevated long-term risk of ischemic stroke, even among younger individuals without traditional vascular risk factors. Although chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and hypercoagulability partially explain this association, the biological mechanisms linking intestinal inflammation to cerebral vascular injury remain incompletely defined. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-bound particles released by epithelial, immune cells and platelets, have emerged as potent mediators of intercellular communication in inflammatory states. In IBD, circulating EVs are enriched with pro-inflammatory cytokines, microRNAs, adhesion molecules, tissue factors, which are capable of promoting endothelial activation, blood-brain barrier disruption, immune-thrombosis and neuroinflammation. This review summarizes epidemiologic, vascular, and EV biology literature to propose a mechanistic framework in which EV-mediated signaling integrates intestinal inflammation with cerebrovascular vulnerability along the gut-vascular-brain axis. While direct causal evidence remains limited, converging mechanistic data supports biological plausibility and defines priorities for future experimental and translational investigation.