German Researchers: "Cause of AZ Vaccine Blood Clot Side Effects Is Formation of Mutant Protein"

"Adenovirus Vector-Based Janssen Vaccine Faces Same Issue"
"Vaccine Manufacturers Can Easily Fix by Modifying Sequence"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] German researchers have identified the cause of the blood clot side effects of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine as mutant proteins generated by the adenovirus vector. They stated that this issue could be resolved with simple adjustments by pharmaceutical companies. They also claim that the blood clot side effects of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiary Janssen vaccine, which is also based on an adenovirus vector, arise from the same mechanism.

On the 26th (local time), according to foreign media including the British daily The Sun, a research team led by Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, publicly released a pre-publication paper on the cause of rare blood clot cases related to COVID-19 vaccines. According to the research team, thrombosis observed in adenovirus vector-based vaccines such as the AZ and Janssen vaccines occurs due to 'floating mutant proteins' generated when the spike protein of COVID-19 is mistakenly sent to the cell nucleus.

The research team explained that adenovirus vector-based vaccines like AZ and Janssen work by inserting inactivated COVID-19 into an adenovirus, which is then introduced into the human body to elicit an immune response. The problem arises when the adenovirus vector delivering the spike protein into the body sends the spike protein incorrectly, the team said.

The spike protein is supposed to be sent to the cytosol, the liquid part of the cytoplasm, but in some cases, it is sent to the nucleus. When sent to the nucleus, a specific part of the spike protein detaches, creating mutant proteins. These mutant proteins fail to bind to the cell membrane and are secreted into the body, causing blood clots in approximately 1 in 100,000 people.

Professor Rolf Marsalek of Goethe University, who led the study, emphasized, "Vaccine manufacturers can easily solve the problem by modifying the spike protein sequence," adding, "We can provide methods to alter these sequences based on our data." The research team has already held discussions with J&J but has not yet contacted AstraZeneca.

Meanwhile, the AZ and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines have been found to potentially cause very rare thrombosis accompanied by thrombocytopenia, such as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT), occurring 4 to 14 days after vaccination. In the UK, among 33 million AZ vaccine recipients, 309 cases of such thrombosis were reported, with 56 deaths. In Europe, at least 142 cases of such thrombosis have been reported among 16 million vaccine recipients.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.