Has there ever been an instance of genetic transformation as a consequence of a mRNA vaccine? Saw this listed as a potential risk in a paper[0], but I have no expertise at all to judge if this a possibility or not.
If you are referring to the following sentence in the introduction, I understood it to mean the opposite:
> Moreover,
mRNA vaccines induce transient antigen expression, while DNA vaccines provide a long-lasting
expression, thus mimicking an acute viral infection. Although a transitory gene expression might
be desirable as it minimizes potential risks of genetic transformation, this inevitably affects mRNA
potency, thus necessitating a dose increase.
This means that mRNA reduce the risk of genetic transformation compared to DNA vaccines, but it comes as a price because you have to deliver a larger dose of mRNA.
Yes that was the sentence. The expression "minimizes potential risks of genetic transformation" implies that there is a non-zero risk, and I'm curious how minimal it is.
Biology is about finding a productive exception to the rules.
This means that when circumstances say no you cant, biological entities find a work around.
as a cover your ass practice, even the smallest chance of occurence means non zero chance.
in this case an mRNA would have to be captured by a reverse transcription system most likely due to co-infection with a retro virus, that complex would have to be functional and would have to be transported into the nucleus.
this is a very remote chance but non zero, thus :
"minimizes potential risks of genetic transformation"
Would this be an accurate summary:
„There is a slim chance the mRNA is incorporated into the DNA if there is an ongoing infection with a retro-virus during vaccination“?
the RNA must interact with retroviral reverse transcriptase in a manner that makes a functional complex or it will just be snipped apart and decycled like garbage.
RNA will fold and produce 2' structure this has interesting consequence. catalytic RNA, structural RNA, stabilizing or protective RNA..
from the paper [3] above:
"Reverse transcription
initiates after binding of a cellular tRNA primer (in HIV-1, tRNA Lys,3 ), to the primer binding
site (PBS). The PBS is a sequence of 18 nucleotides, located downstream of the 5’-end of the
genomic RNA. The viral RNA that serves as template for reverse transcription is flanked by
repeat (R) sequences at its 5 ́ and 3 ́ termini."
the vaccine mRNA does not meet these requirements.
retroviral RNA is configured to function with the reverse transcriptase.
Promiscuity to include other RNA is exceptional not common.
virally infected cells also undergo changes that exclude further infection so they have the cell to themselves.
i would like to say zero chance, but life is in the business of sidestepping the rules to its advantage, however you have a much greater chance of being attacked by a shark while hiking the sahara dunes.
[0] https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/8/2/212/pdf