Could the Spike Protein Derived from mRNA Vaccines Negatively Impact Beneficial Bacteria in the Gut?

2024/08/25 by Alberto Rubio‐Casillas, Mark Fabrowski, Carlo Brogna +3 · 1 voice
Medicine · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology #Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research #Gut microbiota and health

paper · pdf · doi:10.3390/covid4090097

openalex publication_date 2024/08/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

The emergence of mRNA vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 has opened a new page in vaccine development. Nevertheless, concerns of experts have been expressed about unintentional side effects on the gut microbiota (GM). Previous studies showed that this virus acts as a bacteriophage, which infects and destroys specific bacterial strains in the GM. The present manuscript hypothesizes that the synthetic spike protein could create changes in the composition and the functioning of the GM by entering the intestinal cells after vaccination and impairing the symbiotic relationship between intestinal cells and the GM. An experimental protocol to test the hypothesis is suggested.

Citations

• Anticancer immunotherapy by CTLA-4 blockade relies on the gut microbiota
• The microbiota-gut-brain axis as a key regulator of neural function and the stress response: Implications for human and animal health1,2
• Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China
• Virological assessment of hospitalized patients with COVID-2019
• Neurologic Manifestations of Hospitalized Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Wuhan, China
• The trinity of COVID-19: immunity, inflammation and intervention
• Alterations in Gut Microbiota of Patients With COVID-19 During Time of Hospitalization
• The Influence of Probiotics on the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes Ratio in the Treatment of Obesity and Inflammatory Bowel disease
• Gut microbiota composition reflects disease severity and dysfunctional immune responses in patients with COVID-19

Discussions

• Robin: Sorry about that: doi.org 10.3390/covid4090097 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article. Robin: Thank you for your commen [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]