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Diabetes - Type II
Metformin mitigates insulin signaling variations induced by COVID-19 vaccine boosters in type 2 diabetes
SYNOPSIS
Studies suggest the BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine impairs glucose control and aggravates insulin resistance in human subjects with type 2 diabetes.
L. Zhai, M. Zhuang, H. Ki Wong, C. Lin, J. Zhang, G. Bao, Y. Zhang, S. Xu, J. Luo, S. Yuan, H. Leong, X. Wong, Z. Bian
The long-term effects of COVID-19 vaccines have not been well characterized. Zhai et al. conducted a longitudinal clinical trial to determine the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine in healthy controls, pre-diabetic subjects, and diabetic subjects. The corresponding author of this study Zhaoxiang Bian, is a Professor at the Hong Kong Baptist University and a leading expert in the execution of clinical trials with Chinese medicines.
A total of 180 participants receiving BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 (BNT) vaccination (60 in each of the following groups: pre-diabetes mellitus, diabetes mellitus, and healthy controls) were recruited and observed over two weeks for their changes in insulin sensitivity before and after two doses of BNT. Biomarkers were taken for immune response, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. Diabetic patients exhibited similar immune responses (i.e., production of IgG antibodies) as healthy controls after receiving the BNT booster. In contrast to immune responses, authors report exacerbated risks of glucose intolerance and insulin resistance after the booster shot in pre-diabetic and diabetic patients. 61.1% and 66.7% of diabetic subjects had impairment of insulin sensitivity and increased risks of cardiovascular complications, respectively. These results suggest the vaccine impairs glucose control and aggravates insulin resistance in human subjects with type 2 diabetes. Following on, animal studies were conducted to determine the mechanisms of the inhibitory action of BNT vaccination on glucose control. Compared to mice treated with saline, mice treated with the BNT vaccine (intramuscular injection at an equivalent human dosage of 4.5 μg/kg) exhibited immune responses similar as shown by the elevation of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in serum. After the fourth dose of BNT vaccine mice exhibited impaired glucose tolerance. Based on investigated biomarkers of diabetes the authors speculate that glucose intolerance was mediated by impairment of insulin sensitivity rather than impaired insulin secretion. Researchers further showed that metformin, a common anti-diabetic medication, improved the impaired insulin signaling induced by COVID-19 vaccination in mice.
Approximately 12% (38.4 million) and 38% (97.6 million) of the US population have diabetes and prediabetes, respectively (https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html). Clinical and animal studies by Zhai et al. provide clear evidence of safety issues of the COVID-19 vaccines in diabetics or populations with metabolic conditions.
Thimerosal changes protein conformation and increase the rate of fibrillation in physiological conditions: Spectroscopic studies using bovine serum albumin (BSA)
SYNOPSIS
Thimerosal contributes to the formation of abnormal proteins associated with Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
CITATION
Santos JCN, da Silva IM, Braga TC, de Fátima Å, Figueiredo IM, Santos JCC. Thimerosal changes protein conformation and increase the rate of fibrillation in physiological conditions: Spectroscopic studies using bovine serum albumin (BSA). International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2018;113:1032-1040.
SUMMARY
A series of experiments suggests that the effects of the vaccine preservative thimerosal on the structure of important protein molecules in the blood are one likely cause of thimerosal’s toxicity, contributing to the development of neurodegenerative and other diseases. Using a cow protein as a proxy to assess thimerosal’s impact on human serum albumin (a protein made by the liver), the study found that thimerosal accelerates the build-up of abnormal protein deposits that are associated with at least 25 diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and type 2 diabetes. When bound to albumin, thimerosal also may result in “more efficient distribution” of mercury in the body.