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SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: Lights and shadows.

ABSTRACT: Vaccines to prevent acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection elicit an immune neutralizing response. Some concerns have been raised regarding the safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, largely based on case-reports of serious thromboembolic events after vaccination. Some mechanisms have been suggested which might explain the adverse cardiovascular reactions to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Different vaccine platforms are currently available which include live attenuated vaccines, inactivated vaccines, recombinant protein vaccines, vector vaccines, DNA vaccines and RNA vaccines. Vaccines increase the endogenous synthesis of SARS-CoV-2 Spike proteins from a variety of cells. Once synthetized, the Spike proteins assembled in the cytoplasma migrate to the cell surface and protrude with a native-like conformation. These proteins are recognized by the immune system which rapidly develops an immune response. Such response appears to be quite vigorous in the presence of DNA vaccines which encode viral vectors, as well as in subjects who are immunized because of previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2. The resulting pathological features may resemble those of active coronavirus disease. The free-floating Spike proteins synthetized by cells targeted by vaccine and destroyed by the immune response circulate in the blood and systematically interact with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors expressed by a variety of cells including platelets, thereby promoting ACE2 internalization and degradation. These reactions may ultimately lead to platelet aggregation, thrombosis and inflammation mediated by several mechanisms including platelet ACE2 receptors. Whereas Phase III vaccine trials generally excluded participants with previous immunization, vaccination of huge populations in the real life will inevitably include individuals with preexisting immunity. This might lead to excessively enhanced inflammatory and thrombotic reactions in occasional subjects. Further research is urgently needed in this area.

SUBMITTER: Angeli F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8084611 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Congenital abnormalities cause serious fetal consequences. The term TORCH is used to designate the most common perinatal infections, where: (T) refers to toxoplasmosis, (O) means "others" and includes syphilis, varicella-zoster, parvovirus B19, zika virus (ZIKV), and malaria among others, (R) refers to rubella, (C) relates to cytomegalovirus infection, and (H) to herpes simplex virus infections. Among the main abnormalities identified in neonates exposed to congenital infections are central nervous system (CNS) damage, microcephaly, hearing loss, and ophthalmological impairment, all requiring regular follow-up to monitor its progression. Protein changes such as mutations, post-translational modifications, abundance, structure, and function may indicate a pathological condition before the onset of the first symptoms, allowing early diagnosis and understanding of a particular disease or infection. The term "proteomics" is defined as the science that studies the proteome, which consists of the total protein content of a cell, tissue or organism in a given space and time, including post-translational modifications (PTMs) and interactions between proteins. Currently, quantitative bottom-up proteomic strategies allow rapid and high throughput characterization of complex biological mixtures. Investigating proteome modulation during host-pathogen interaction helps in elucidating the mechanisms of infection and in predicting disease progression. This "molecular battle" between host and pathogen is a key to identify drug targets and diagnostic markers. Here, we conducted a survey on proteomic techniques applied to congenital diseases classified in the terminology "TORCH", including toxoplasmosis, ZIKV, malaria, syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes simplex virus (HSV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCVM). We have highlighted proteins and/or protein complexes actively involved in the infection. Most of the proteomic studies reported have been performed in cell line models, and the evaluation of tissues (brain, muscle, and placenta) and biofluids (plasma, serum and urine) in animal models is still underexplored. Moreover, there are a plethora of studies focusing on the pathogen or the host without considering the triad mother-fetus-pathogen as a dynamic and interconnected system.

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SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: Lights and shadows.

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