A thread to collect information and links to understand the mechanism of action behind the spike proteins.
What do we know so far about COVID-19/the corona virus, vaccines and spike proteins, as well as their interactions?
- Both the virus as well as the vaccine either "contain" or code for Spike proteins (should be easy enough to find plenty resources backing this)
- said spike protein(s) damage the endothelial cells of the vasculature [1]
- spike protein also induces changes in mitochondrial shape and metabolism [1]
- spike protein isn't degraded by monocytes, expressed on the cell surface for up to 15 months post-infection [2]
- changes to the differentiation of immune cells [2]
- damage to the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system by means of ACE2 receptors (should be plenty to find out there), thus affecting blood pressure, electrolyte homeostasis among other things
- reduction of reticulocytes by 48-74%, though this is apparently reversible according to the EMA paper [3]
This is just some hours worth of taking notes and connecting the dots, so to say
I'm just now getting into immunology (not in university though, just researching stuff from home), though I'm willing to put in the effort. Any books, authors, online resources to recommend? Any other information or key elements to add?
Refs:
[1]
https://www.salk.edu/news-release/the-novel-coronavirus-spike-protein-plays-additional-key-role-in-illness/
[2]
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.25.449905v1.full
[3]
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/assessment-report/comirnaty-epar-public-assessment-report_en.pdf page 50
