‘It’s a Type of Genotoxicity’: Virologist Explains mRNA Vaccine Conversion to DNA

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When the COVID-19 vaccines were first developed and administered, some people were concerned about whether the mRNA vaccines might alter DNA, the human body’s core genetic material. At the time, many government agencies and experts made it clear that this concern was misplaced.

However, some recent studies have found that the mRNA in vaccines can actually become embedded in DNA. The results of these studies have overturned previous knowledge. Does it mean that in an attempt to protect some people from serious illness caused by SARS-Cov-2 we’ve opened Pandora’s box?

Why Did People Initially Think That Vaccines Wouldn’t Affect Genes?

According to the central dogma of molecular biology, DNA is generally transcribed to produce RNA, and the RNA is translated into proteins. In addition, in the presence of unique polymerases (such as RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, also called reverse transcriptase), RNA can be reverse transcribed into DNA.