Do RNA vaccines obviate the need for genotoxicity studies?

Summary of the Current Status of DNA Vaccination for Alzheimer Disease

Alzheimer disease (AD) is one of the most common and disabling neuropathies in the ever-growing aged population around the world, that especially affects Western countries. We are in urgent need of finding an effective therapy but also a valid prophylactic means of preventing AD. There is a growing attention currently paid to DNA vaccination, a technology particularly used during the COVID-19 era, which can be used also to potentially prevent or modify the course of neurological diseases, including AD. This paper aims to discuss the main features and hurdles encountered in the immunization and therapy against AD using DNA vaccine technology. Ultimately, this work aims to effectively promote the efforts in research for the development of safe and effective DNA and RNA vaccines for AD.

SARS-CoV-2 Subunit Virus-like Vaccine Demonstrates High Safety Profile and Protective Efficacy: Preclinical Study

Public health threat coming from a rapidly developing COVID-19 pandemic calls for developing safe and effective vaccines with innovative designs. This paper presents preclinical trial results of “Betuvax-CoV-2”, a vaccine developed as a subunit vaccine containing a recombinant RBD-Fc fusion protein and betulin-based spherical virus-like nanoparticles as an adjuvant (“Betuspheres”). The study aimed to demonstrate vaccine safety in mice, rats, and Chinchilla rabbits through acute, subchronic, and reproductive toxicity studies. Along with safety, the vaccine demonstrated protective efficacy through SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibody production in mice, rats, hamsters, rabbits, and primates (rhesus macaque), and lung damage and infection protection in hamsters and rhesus macaque model. Eventually, “Betuvax-CoV-2” was proved to confer superior efficacy and protection against the SARS-CoV-2 in preclinical studies. Based on the above results, the vaccine was enabled to enter clinical trials that are currently underway.

mRNA Vaccines: Why Is the Biology of Retroposition Ignored?

The major advantage of mRNA vaccines over more conventional approaches is their potential for rapid development and large-scale deployment in pandemic situations. In the current COVID-19 crisis, two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been conditionally approved and broadly applied, while others are still in clinical trials. However, there is no previous experience with the use of mRNA vaccines on a large scale in the general population. This warrants a careful evaluation of mRNA vaccine safety properties by considering all available knowledge about mRNA molecular biology and evolution. Here, I discuss the pervasive claim that mRNA-based vaccines cannot alter genomes. Surprisingly, this notion is widely stated in the mRNA vaccine literature but never supported by referencing any primary scientific papers that would specifically address this question. This discrepancy becomes even more puzzling if one considers previous work on the molecular and evolutionary aspects of retroposition in murine and human populations that clearly documents the frequent integration of mRNA molecules into genomes, including clinical contexts. By performing basic comparisons, I show that the sequence features of mRNA vaccines meet all known requirements for retroposition using L1 elements-the most abundant autonomously active retrotransposons in the human genome. In fact, many factors associated with mRNA vaccines increase the possibility of their L1-mediated retroposition. I conclude that is unfounded to a priori assume that mRNA-based therapeutics do not impact genomes and that the route to genome integration of vaccine mRNAs via endogenous L1 retroelements is easily conceivable. This implies that we urgently need experimental studies that would rigorously test for the potential retroposition of vaccine mRNAs. At present, the insertional mutagenesis safety of mRNA-based vaccines should be considered unresolved.

Nucleic Acids as Biotools at the Interface between Chemistry and Nanomedicine in the COVID-19 Era

The recent development of mRNA vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 infection has turned the spotlight on the potential of nucleic acids as innovative prophylactic agents and as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Until now, their use has been severely limited by their reduced half-life in the biological environment and the difficulties related to their transport to target cells. These limiting aspects can now be overcome by resorting to chemical modifications in the drug and using appropriate nanocarriers, respectively. Oligonucleotides can interact with complementary sequences of nucleic acid targets, forming stable complexes and determining their loss of function. An alternative strategy uses nucleic acid aptamers that, like the antibodies, bind to specific proteins to modulate their activity. In this review, the authors will examine the recent literature on nucleic acids-based strategies in the COVID-19 era, focusing the attention on their applications for the prophylaxis of COVID-19, but also on antisense- and aptamer-based strategies directed to the diagnosis and therapy of the coronavirus pandemic.

Untangling the Intricacies of Infection, Thrombosis, Vaccination, and Antiphospholipid Antibodies for COVID-19

Advanced SARS-CoV-2 infections not uncommonly associate with the occurrence of silent or manifest thrombotic events which may be found as focal or systemic disease. Given the potential complexity of COVID-19 illnesses, a multifactorial causation is likely, but several studies have focused on infection-induced coagulopathy. Procoagulant states are commonly found in association with the finding of antiphospholipid antibodies. The correlation of the latter with thrombosis and/or clinical severity remains controversial. Although measures of antiphospholipid antibodies most commonly include assessments for lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin, and anti-ß2-glycoprotein-I antibodies, lesser common antibodies have been detected, and there remains speculation that other yet undiscovered autoimmune thrombotic events may yet be found. The recent discovery of post-vaccination thromboses associated with platelet factor 4 antibody has created another level of concern. The pathogenesis of antiphospholipid antibodies and their role in COVID-19-related thrombosis deserves further attention. The multifactorial nature of thrombosis associated with both infection and vaccination should continue to be studied as new events unfold. Even if a cause-and-effect relationship is variable at best, such dedicated research is likely to generate other valuable insights that are applicable to medicine generally.

Anti-Coronavirus Vaccines: Past Investigations on SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV, the Approved Vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca and others under Development Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection

The aim of this review article is to summarize the knowledge available to date on prophylaxis achievements to fight against Coronavirus. This work will give an overview of what is reported in the most recent literature on vaccines (under investigation or already developed like BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and ChAdOx1-S) effective against the most pathogenic Coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV-1, and SARS-CoV-2), with of course particular attention paid to those under development or already in use to combat the current COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease 19) pandemic. Our main objective is to make a contribution to the comprehension, additionally at a molecular level, of what is currently ready for anti-SARS-CoV-2 prophylactic intervention, as well as to provide the reader with an overall picture of the most innovative approaches for the development of vaccines that could be of general utility in the fight against the most pathogenic Coronaviruses.