Pfizer’s Covid vaccine causes intracellular reverse transcription of BNT162b2 mRNA into human DNA in vitro, renewing concerns that vaccines may introduce spike protein into the nuclei of cells. TrialSite News has the story.
The findings emerged Friday in a peer-reviewed article entitled “Intracellular Reverse Transcription of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 In Vitro in Human Liver Cell Line” in the Current Issues in Molecular Biology Journal, an imprint of MDPI, the largest open-access publisher in the world and the fifth-largest publisher overall in terms of journal paper output.
Researchers Warn: Pfizer Vaccine May Affect Integrity of Genomic DNA
“Our study shows that BNT162b2 can be reverse transcribed to DNA in liver cell line Huh7, and this may give rise to the concern if BNT162b2-derived DNA may be integrated into the host genome and affect the integrity of genomic DNA, which may potentially mediate genotoxic side effects,” the authors warn.
The study, authored by a team of Swedish researchers at Lund University, concluded that Pfizer’s COVID-19 mRNA vaccine entered the human liver cell line Huh7 in vitro and BNT162b2 mRNA was subsequently transcribed intracellularly into DNA within six hours of exposure. …
The authors conclude that BNT162b2 transfects into human liver cell line huh7 in vitro, altering LINE-1 expression and distribution. The authors also find that “BNT162b2 mRNA is reverse transcribed intracellularly into DNA in as fast as six hours upon BNT162b2 exposure.”
BNT162b2 is a lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated, nucleoside-modified RNA vaccine (modRNA) which resembles gene therapy platforms. Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine encodes the full-length of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. That spike protein is modified by two proline mutations to ensure antigenically optimal pre-fusion conformation, mimicking the intact virus to elicit virus-neutralizing antibodies.
A recent study showed that SARS-CoV-2 RNAs can be reverse-transcribed and integrated into the genome of human cells, which the authors said led them to investigate whether spike transfected by mRNA vaccines might have comparable effects.
mRNA Vaccines Effect on “Genomic Integrity” Should Be Studied
“At this stage, we do not know if DNA reverse transcribed from BNT162b2 is integrated into the cell genome,” the authors wrote. “Further studies are needed to demonstrate the effect of BNT162b2 on genomic integrity, including whole genome sequencing of cells exposed to BNT162b2, as well as tissues from human subjects who received BNT162b2 vaccination.”
Worth reading in full.
Postscript: It has been pointed out to the Daily Sceptic that while the paper we refer to in this article did conclude that by using the Huh7 cell line the Pfizer vaccine was able to enter liver cells as soon as six hours after injection, and that cells subsequently showed the presence of DNA that had been converted from the vaccine’s own genetic material, nevertheless two of the paper’s authors stated in a March 2022 Q&A on the Lund University website addressing misrepresentations of the work that the study’s objective was not to determine whether the Pfizer vaccine alters the human genome. “These findings were observed in petri dishes under experimental conditions, but we do not yet know if the converted DNA is integrated into the cells’ DNA in the genome – and if so, if it has any consequences,” co-author Magnus Rasmussen, a professor at Lund University, said.
Additionally, Rhys Parry, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Queensland, told the fact-checking website Health Feedback that the study does not present evidence that genetic material from the Pfizer vaccine actually enters the nucleus of the liver cells, where the cells’ own genetic material lives. In fact, the study itself stated in its conclusion that “at this stage, we do not know if DNA reverse transcribed from BNT162b2 is integrated into the cell genome” and called for “further studies”.
In our defence, we do not consider it reasonable to criticise Will Jones for failing to mention caveats made by two of the paper’s authors after our article was published. It is correct to say that “the study itself stated in its conclusion that ‘at this stage, we do not know if DNA reverse transcribed from BNT162b2 is integrated into the cell genome’ and called for ‘further studies’”. Will Jones’s article includes precisely that quote from the study.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.