Furthermore, we and others have recently shown that an absence of iBALT, either through the use of B cell‐deficient mice or administration of anti‐CXCL13 antibody or BAFF‐receptor fusion protein, prevented CS‐induced emphysema in animal models of COPD (Bracke et al, 2013; John‐Schuster et al, 2014; Seys et al, 2015). Here, CXCL13 is linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.