Stanford investigators have found the exact immune process at work in occasional instances of inflammation of the heart, or myocarditis, associated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which occurred principally in young males. Their report published in Science Translational Medicine describes a two-step process involving certain proteins, and how a compound found in soy products may prevent it. These vaccines, with over a billion doses administered globally, are still remarkably safe and effective at preventing serious cases of COVID-19.
Benefits of the proven vaccine
mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna have revolutionized the response to COVID-19, lowering significantly hospitalization and mortality rates. Myocarditis is an adverse effect, although a rare one, hitting about 1 in 140,000 individuals following the first dose and 1 in 32,000 following the second, with men under 30 having the strongest incidence of 1 in 16,750. Chest pain, breathing difficulty, often accompanied by increased levels of heart enzyme ‘troponin’ due to myocarditis, begins within days of infection, although myocarditis resolves completely, with no lasting consequences, and it is assessed that myocarditis risk is 10 times higher post-COVID infection, apart from other risks.
Step-by-step immune system
Problems originate with macrophages, the immune system’s first line of defense against infection. When treated with mRNA vaccine particles in a petri dish, macrophages release large quantities of a protein called CXCL10, a chemokine, or signaling protein, that sends out a flare light, summoning T cells, who release large quantities of IFN-gamma, another protein, creating a chain reaction: immune system components, neutrophils, pour into heart tissue, while adhesion proteins in blood vessel walls attract the cells, further stressing heart cells. Blood samples from vaccinated patients with myocarditis contained the same protein elevations, proving the connection.
Evidence from cells and mice
Lead scientist Joseph Wu of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute checked the effectiveness of these conditions in immune cells derived from blood in a representative model. T-cells by themselves didn’t respond to the vaccine, but went ballistic with IFN-gamma following exposure to Macrophages. Young male mice receiving the mRNA Vaccines presented with Troponin leaks and cardiac infiltrates, as seen in patients. Inhibition of CXCL10 or IFN-gamma reduced the impact with retention of vaccine-induced immunity and protection of the heart. Stem cell models consisting of small groups of beating cardiac tissue attenuated contractile force and impaired rhythm following exposure to these cytokines, with inhibitors mitigating these effects. The soy compounds as sheildNoteworthy finding: the natural soy isoflavone ‘genistein’ with moderate estrogen properties reduced the response in both models. Pretreated cells, cardiac spheroids, and orally administered mice expressed reduced signs of inflammation, fewer infiltrating cells, and no Troponin level increase post-vaccination. This is the follow-through on previous research, which found that ‘genistein reduced injury in blood vessels induced by other stresses.’ Often used in ‘tofu, it is not readily absorbed when taken orally,’ but purified substances had no issues with this study’s dose. Wu believes it may also ‘protect other tissues, lung or kidney, from the same mRNA.’
Key takeaways regarding health
This is why there is greater risk to boys in the teenage group, possibly because estrogen is more effective at reducing inflammation. The importance of IFN-gamma in combatting RNA viruses turns into danger at high levels. Though side effects are subtle for other vaccines, receiving little attention, mRNA vaccines are open to rigorous scrutiny, leading to immediate investigation for chest pain following the procedure. The clinical trials, backed by NIH grants, recommend the testing of cytokine inhibitors or genistein to improve future vaccines.