Martos-Folgado, InmaculadaDel Monte-Monge, AlbertoLorenzo, CristinaBusse, Christian EDelgado, PilarMur, Sonia MCobos-Figueroa, LauraEscolà-Gil, Joan CMartín-Ventura, Jose LWardemann, HeddaRamiro, Almudena R2022-12-022022-12-022022-10-11Cell Rep. 2022 Oct 11;41(2):111468http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/15256Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arteries that can lead to thrombosis, infarction, and stroke and is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Immunization of pro-atherogenic mice with malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) neo-antigen is athero-protective. However, the immune response to MDA-LDL and the mechanisms responsible for this athero-protection are not completely understood. Here, we find that immunization of mice with MDA-LDL elicits memory B cells, plasma cells, and switched anti-MDA-LDL antibodies as well as clonal expansion and affinity maturation, indicating that MDA-LDL triggers a bona fide germinal center antibody response. Further, Prdm1fl/flAicda-Cre+/kiLdlr-/- pro-atherogenic chimeras, which lack germinal center-derived plasma cells, show accelerated atherosclerosis. Finally, we show that MDA-LDL immunization is not athero-protective in mice lacking germinal-center-derived plasma cells. Our findings give further support to the development of MDA-LDL-based vaccines for the prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis.engVoRhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/AtherosclerosisVaccinesAnimalsAntibody FormationGerminal CenterLipoproteins, LDLMalondialdehydeMiceVaccinationAtribución 4.0 Internacional3622374141211146810.1016/j.celrep.2022.1114682211-1247Cell reportsopen access