Abstract: The subject invention provides a naturally occurring antigen indicative of the presence of atherosclerotic plaque. The subject invention provides a murine-human chimeric monoclonal antibody which specifically binds to an antigen indicative of the presence of atherosclerotic plaque; and methods and reagents involving the use of the murine-human chimeric monoclonal antibody. The subject invention provides a CDR-grafted antibody; and methods and reagents involving the use of the CDR-grafted antibody. The subject invention provides a surrogate antigen; methods and reagents involving the use of the surrogate antigen, preparation of the surrogate antigen, antibodies generated from the surrogate antigen.

Abstract: An antigen comprising 5,7 cholestadien-3.beta.-ol (7-dehydrocholesterol) or a compound having a structure similar to 5,7 cholestadien-3.beta.-ol and a quaternary ammonium salt is provided. Also provided is a method of generating an antibody using the aforementioned antigen, as well as antibodies produced thereby and fragments of such antibodies. The invention also provides a rat myeloma cell line Z2D3 73/30 1D10 and a murine-human chimeric monoclonal antibody produced thereby. A CDR-grafted antibody comprising a CDR region amino acid sequence from hybridoma Z2D3 or hybridoma Z2D3/3E5 and framework and constant region amino acid sequences from a human immunoglobulin is further provided. Also provided are methods for imaging atherosclerotic plaque, ablating atherosclerotic plaque, detecting and quantitatively determining in a sample an antigen indicative of the presence of atherosclerotic plaque, reducing the amount of atherosclerotic plaque in a blood vessel, and treating atherosclerosis in a subject.