LSARS-CoV-2 RNAs can be reverse transcribed and integrated into the DNA of human cells. Today, it is considered that about 8% of our genome (DNA) contains viral DNA, which already suggests a natural ability of our organism to integrate nucleotide sequences of viruses during evolution. Along with this viral DNA, 17% of our genomic DNA belongs to a category of elements called LINE-1. LINE-1 elements are a potential source of endogenous reverse transcriptase expression (which transforms RNA into complementary DNA). The work of Jaenisch et al. show in vitro that SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be reverse transcribed and integrated into the genome of the infected cell.
American researchers from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have provided new evidence suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 genes can integrate into our DNA. In a study published in the PNAS, they show, thanks to the culture of cells in the laboratory, how genetic fragments of the coronavirus can integrate into our chromosomes. They even claim to have “unequivocal evidence that coronavirus sequences can integrate into the genome”. This could, according to them, explain that some people, even though cured, are again tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 months later, although there is no evidence of viral replication.
SARS-CoV-2 RNAs can be reverse transcribed and integrated into the DNA of human cells. A "plausible" hypothesis, but which still lacks proof. Butf our cells are capable of integrating fragments of viral RNA into the genome, what about the synthetic mRNAs contained in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines currently in use?
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