"Abstract
Purpose: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic prompted the development and use of next-generation vaccines. Among these, mRNA-based vaccines consist of injectable solutions of mRNA encoding for a recombinant Spike, which is distinguishable from the wild-type protein due to specific amino acid variations introduced to maintain the protein in a prefused state. This work presents a proteomic approach to reveal the presence of recombinant Spike protein in vaccinated subjects regardless of antibody titer.
Experimental design: Mass spectrometry examination of biological samples was used to detect the presence of specific fragments of recombinant Spike protein in subjects who received mRNA-based vaccines.
Results: The specific PP-Spike fragment was found in 50% of the biological samples analyzed, and its presence was independent of the SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titer. The minimum and maximum time at which PP-Spike was detected after vaccination was 69 and 187 days, respectively...
1 Introduction
... In some cases, we found the PP-Spike marker in vaccinated individuals more than 30 days after the vaccine, indicating that it is possible to detect vaccine 'Spike' protein even sometime after vaccination and in any organic tissue (data in preparation). Based on the results obtained, hypotheses can be made for possible molecular mechanisms of persistence of 'Spike PP.' In particular, three hypotheses are possible...
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It is possible that the mRNA may be integrated or re-transcribed in some cells.
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It is possible that pseudo-uridines at a particular sequence position, as described in the article, induce the formation of a spike protein that is always constitutively active...
- It is possible that the mRNA-containing nanoparticle will be picked up by bacteria normally present at the basal level in the blood. In fact, the existence of blood microbiota in clinically healthy individuals was proven during the last 50 years. Indeed, indirect evidence by radiometric analyses suggested the existence of living microbial forms in erythrocytes. In addition, the observation of the PP-Spike marker in individuals vaccinated more than 30 days after the vaccine in about 50% of subjects could also be explained by the wide biodiversity of eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbiota identified in blood by next-generation sequencing technologies...
... The minimum time PP-Spike was detected was 69 days after vaccination, while the maximum time was 187 days. All controls (samples from unvaccinated individuals) were negative. The control group (20 unvaccinated people) was also tested after contracting COVID-19 and was negative for PP-spike...
Significance of the Study
... [I]t is the duty of the scientist not to neglect controls. Herein lies the importance of monitoring vaccine-induced Spike protein 'PP' after a time period after vaccination in human biological samples. The presented method allows to assess the half-life of the Spike 'PP' protein molecule and to consider the risks or benefits in continuing further booster doses of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine."
© 2023 The Authors. Proteomics – Clinical Applications published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
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