Vaccination against atherosclerosis: science or fiction?

Atherosclerosis bears many similarities to inflammatory/autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis (MS).1,2 Compelling data from experimental models show that such diseases may be treated by vaccination. Will it be possible to attack atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with the same approach? Several studies have shown positive effects of immunization with antigenic LDL preparations,3–6 and a report in this issue of Circulation demonstrates a protective effect of oral and nasal immunization with another antigen, heat shock protein 65 (HSP65).7