A recent Cambridge study has raised concerns about Pfizer’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, indicating a roughly 1 in 10 chance that they may produce unintended proteins instead of the intended spike proteins. The study found that 8% of the time, Pfizer’s mRNA vaccines are mistranslated, leading to the formation of aberrant proteins. This mistranslation is attributed to Pfizer’s modification of mRNA bases, specifically using N1-methylpseudouridine.
The study explains that mRNA vaccines act as instructions to create spike proteins, and if these instructions are misinterpreted, errors in the final protein may occur. Such errors, known as frameshifts, can result in the production of unique and potentially aberrant proteins. The modification made by Pfizer, using N1-methylpseudouridine, makes the mRNA sequence more robust but can lead to frameshift errors.
The study, which inoculated mice and humans with Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, revealed that Pfizer vaccines were significantly more likely to produce frameshifted proteins. While there is no evidence that these aberrant proteins cause adverse outcomes, the study suggests the importance of modifying mRNA sequence design to reduce these shifts in future vaccine development.
Concerns are raised about the potential for misdirected immunity, where the body’s immune system might target the wrong proteins, leading to autoimmune responses. Some experts worry that the unique proteins produced may increase the risk of autoimmune disorders and even cancer. The study’s findings indicate that the structure and sequence of these new proteins are currently unknown.
While critics argue that frameshifts are naturally occurring events and may not pose a significant risk, the study’s authors emphasize the synthetic mRNA sequence’s “error-prone” nature. The study concludes that, although there is no evidence of harm from the aberrant proteins generated by Pfizer’s vaccine, there is a need to address the design flaw and improve mRNA sequence design for future vaccine development.
It’s important to note that Pfizer did not respond to requests for comment on the study.