SYNOPSIS
The peptides in vaccine pathogens and in human proteins overlap, creating a risk of post-vaccination cross-reactivity that can explain vaccine failure and vaccine-associated adverse events.
TITLE
Inter-pathogen peptide sharing and the original antigenic sin: solving a paradox
Citation
Kanduc D, Schoenfeld Y. Inter-pathogen peptide sharing and the original antigenic sin: solving a paradox. The Open Immunology Journal. 2018;8:16-27.
Summary
The authors explain how the overlap between peptides present in vaccine pathogens and in human proteins creates a risk of cross-reactivity following vaccination. Cross-reactivity can explain not only vaccine failure but also vaccine-associated adverse events, including autoimmunity. The “massive microbial vs human peptide overlap” suggests that vaccines cannot be safe and effective unless they are based on peptide sequences that are “uniquely owned by the infectious agent” but absent from the full set of human proteins.