If it's a non-coding region, it won't be expressed in the spike protein, and won't trigger an immune response. It appears this sequence is only in the mRNA used to co-opt cells to produce spike proteins but the sequence itself doesn't trigger an immune response.
Your immune system doesn't develop a defense against all of the other human DNA floating around in your system (yes yes, auto-immune conditions exist but for many other complicated reasons) and this is just one tiny sequence inside the vaccine.
I agree with your assessment of the "immune system" as we generally understand it; this UTR is on the mRNA and will not encounter the anti-bodies that float around between cells, in the blood, etc. looking for problems. They are separated by very well defined barriers. If that were not the case, multicellular life could not exist.
However, there are other types of "immune systems." CRISPR-Cas9 as a gene editing tool was found precisely because bacteria use it as an intracellular immune system. And CRISPR is not the only one. We have intracellular immune systems in our own cells. This mRNA could possibly cause problems with such systems. In fact the exposure of parts of the interior of the mitochondria into the cytosol is a common signal for autophagocytosis (take out the trash) or apoptosis (kill the cell).
There are several assumptions in there, but it isn't without theoretical backing (and substantial experimental backing in other organisms). This is potentially something to be concerned about.
Just wondering, is there an immune response to the vaccine itself? (rather than just to the spike proteins it produces) - I hate calling it a vaccine as it is not one.
If it's a non-coding region, it won't be expressed in the spike protein, and won't trigger an immune response. It appears this sequence is only in the mRNA used to co-opt cells to produce spike proteins but the sequence itself doesn't trigger an immune response.
Your immune system doesn't develop a defense against all of the other human DNA floating around in your system (yes yes, auto-immune conditions exist but for many other complicated reasons) and this is just one tiny sequence inside the vaccine.
I agree with your assessment of the "immune system" as we generally understand it; this UTR is on the mRNA and will not encounter the anti-bodies that float around between cells, in the blood, etc. looking for problems. They are separated by very well defined barriers. If that were not the case, multicellular life could not exist.
However, there are other types of "immune systems." CRISPR-Cas9 as a gene editing tool was found precisely because bacteria use it as an intracellular immune system. And CRISPR is not the only one. We have intracellular immune systems in our own cells. This mRNA could possibly cause problems with such systems. In fact the exposure of parts of the interior of the mitochondria into the cytosol is a common signal for autophagocytosis (take out the trash) or apoptosis (kill the cell).
There are several assumptions in there, but it isn't without theoretical backing (and substantial experimental backing in other organisms). This is potentially something to be concerned about.
I wouldnt say the probablility is 0. Definitely small, but non-zero.
Please see my response to this statement.
Just wondering, is there an immune response to the vaccine itself? (rather than just to the spike proteins it produces) - I hate calling it a vaccine as it is not one.