Study: Most antibodies produced by mRNA vaccines are Non-neutralizing

Addendum October 15, 2021: A study from Osaka Japan showed that non-neutralizing antibodies produced from COVID vaccination enhance infection with the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 rather than protect.

You can read it at: https://drjessesantiano.com/delta-variant-poised-to-be-totally-resistant-to-the-current-covid-vaccines/

Original areticle follows.

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, and the Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, collaborated and released a preprint study. The plasmablast response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination is dominated by non-neutralizing antibodies and targets both the NTD and the RBD.

First, some definitions of terminologies.

NTD is the N-terminal domain, and RBD is the Receptor-Binding Domain. Both are parts of the coronavirus spike protein. The RBD is the one that attaches to the ACE2 receptor of the human cells. Once connected, the virus enters and starts replication that results in an infection.

Antibodies can be neutralizing or non-neutralizing. Neutralizing antibodies stick to the part of the virus critical to its attachment to human cells. In this case, it is the RBD.

Non-neutralizing antibodies also stick to spike proteins but function as a marker or “tag” so that other cells like the T-cells can come and destroy them. In vaccination, you want the neutralizing antibodies to develop because they work prevent infection and are more predictable in their action.

Now to the study. In the lab, they compared the antibody response of 6 vaccinated individuals and 30 COVID-19 survivors. They exposed their serum to the different parts of the spike proteins of the SARS-CoV-2.

They also tested their antibodies against the alpha and beta variants of the SARS-CoV-2.

Here are the findings:

1. COVID-19 survivors with low antibody titers exhibited a higher binding ratio to neutralizing antibodies than those with high titers.
2. Only a minority of the binding antibodies, even those targeting the RBD, showed neutralizing activity among the vaccinated.
3. The antibodies produced by the vaccinated were not able to neutralize or bind to the RBD of the alpha and beta variants.

What’s the significance of the finding?

The goal in the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development is to produce antibodies that will block the attachment and entry to the ACE2 receptors of the human cells.

The RBD or the receptor-binding domain is located in the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2. The image below shows the RBD in pink. That is where the neutralizing antibodies should attach to prevent ACE2

If the antibodies produced were non-neutralizing, what are they good for?

Non-neutralizing antibodies attach to viruses to mark them for other cells to identify, like the T-cells for killing making the virus non-infectious.

T-cell killing is another way for the body to protect against infections.

How does this study relate to the real world?

This study explains the ineffectiveness of the mRNA vaccines. Readers of this website have read that vaccine effectiveness is measured by Absolute Risk Reduction.  Learn more here:  Know the Absolute Risk Reduction of the COVID-19 Vaccines! Part 1 and Absolute Risk Reduction of the COVID-19 Vaccines. Part 2

This research also explains why vaccinated people developed breakthrough  COVID-19 infections as described in this article; The Delta variant is a danger to the more than 50 years old.

The lack of neutralizing antibodies also explains the high mortality (20%) of admitted breakthrough cases. CDC reports on hospitalization and deaths among breakthrough cases

The findings are also consistent with another study that shows that people previously infected with COVID have a more effective immune response to future coronavirus infections than the vaccinated. Who develops a better Immunity against SARS-CoV-2? The vaccinated or the previously infected?