5. Conclusions
Although we do not provide information about the capacity of this peptide to induce the M1 macrophage phenotype in the atherosclerotic plaque, we hypothesize that the presence of p2C7 mimotope in the LDL (−) particle can be one of the triggers of this inflammatory cascade, contributing to the atherosclerotic process. Thus, P2C7 is a peptide that mimics some of the proinflammatory actions of LDL (−) particles on macrophages and may represent an important DAMP in atherosclerosis.