Researchers at the University of Cologne have found that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines have a lasting impact on the innate immune system. These mechanisms could enhance the body’s ability to defend itself against future infections.
Researchers from the University of Cologne and University Hospital Cologne have demonstrated that novel mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines not only trigger adaptive immune responses, such as the production of antibodies, but also induce long-lasting epigenetic changes in innate immune cells.
The study was led by Professor Dr. Jan Rybniker, Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at University Hospital Cologne and principal investigator at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), along with Dr. Robert Hänsel-Hertsch, also a principal investigator at the CMMC. The findings were published in Molecular Systems Biology.
The immune system consists of two main components: the innate immune system, which provides immediate, broad protection against pathogens, and the adaptive (or acquired) immune system, which develops specific responses to new threats. These two arms of the immune system work in concert.
According to the researchers, the observed changes in innate immune cells are driven by epigenetic modifications, specifically, chemical changes to histone proteins. Histones act like spools around which DNA is wound. Acetylation of histones is a reversible process that alters how genes are expressed, without changing the DNA sequence itself.
These findings suggest that mRNA vaccination may enhance the long-term responsiveness of innate immune cells, potentially improving the body’s defense not only against the targeted virus, but also against unrelated pathogens.
Epigenetic Training of Immune Cells
“Our findings show that mRNA vaccines induce an epigenetic ‘training’ of innate immune cells, enabling a sustained immune response,” says Dr. Alexander Simonis, first author of the study. The epigenetic changes may provide the basis for long-lasting innate immunity that broadens the protection mechanisms of the acquired immune system. This can now be tested in larger clinical trials based on these study results.
The researchers analyzed monocytes – a type of white blood cells that can differentiate into macrophages in humans – in blood samples of vaccinated participants at six different time points. Macrophages are classical cells of the innate immune system that are crucial for the rapid detection and digestion of pathogens. They found that mRNA-based COVID-19-vaccinations cause a significant and persistent change through acetylation, i.e. the binding of a chemical group to specific, immunologically relevant genes of these monocytes.
Moreover, the findings showed that these epigenetic changes were preserved for six months after the vaccination, suggesting that the vaccine trains the ‘long-term memory’ of the immune system. Since human monocytes only circulate for about three days in the body, the researchers assume that the precursor cells of monocytes in the bone marrow also carry the epigenetic markers.
However, a single mRNA-vaccination is not sufficient to potently induce the markers. “Two consecutive vaccinations or a single booster vaccination are required for these persistent epigenetic changes, highlighting the need for multiple vaccinations to maintain a long-term immune response,” says Jan Rybniker.
Broad Immune Activation and Future Potential
The observed epigenetic changes led to increased ‘reading’ of pro-inflammatory genes, which in turn led to the production of messenger substances, so-called cytokines, that can activate numerous immune cells and thus increase their ability to fight pathogens.
“Since this is an activation of the innate immune system, which targets various pathogens in a relatively broad and unspecific manner, the mRNA vaccinations could also offer protection against other viruses and bacteria, at least for a certain period of time,” explains Dr. Sebastian Theobald, who is also first author of the study.
“These findings suggest that histone modifications in macrophages not only activate genes involved in the immune response, but that these genes additionally form guanine quadruplex DNA structures, which may be crucial to persistent immunity,” says Dr. Robert Hänsel-Hertsch, who is an expert in the field of epigenetics.
These findings have far-reaching implications for the development of future vaccination strategies, both against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
Reference: “Persistent epigenetic memory of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in monocyte-derived macrophages” by Alexander Simonis, Sebastian J Theobald, Anna E Koch, Ram Mummadavarapu, Julie M Mudler, Andromachi Pouikli, Ulrike Göbel, Richard Acton, Sandra Winter, Alexandra Albus, Dmitriy Holzmann, Marie-Christine Albert, Michael Hallek, Henning Walczak, Thomas Ulas, Manuel Koch, Peter Tessarz, Robert Hänsel-Hertsch and Jan Rybniker, 25 March 2025, Molecular Systems Biology.
DOI: 10.1038/s44320-025-00093-6
The study was conducted within the framework of a research project on deciphering innate immunity in vaccination at the CMMC and the platform COVIM – COllaboratiVe IMmunity Platform of the Network of University Medicine (NUM), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
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16 Comments
I am a medical anthropologist researcher and author, with graduate training in biochemistry. “The observed epigenetic changes led to increased ‘reading’ of pro-inflammatory genes, which in turn led to the production of messenger substances, so-called cytokines, that can activate numerous immune cells and thus increase their ability to fight pathogens.” This article tries to put a positive spin on a real problem. Remember the “cytokine storm” that devastated people due to inflammation? This study is showing that the COVID mRNA vaccine and boosters cause a permanent increase in inflammation due to increased cytokine production. The article tries to spin this as positive. It actually is negative, and may explain long-COVID in the vaccinated. Having increased inflammatory cytokines circulating throughout the body increases inflammation, and wherever that happens there will be aches, pains, and dysfunction. This is also happening in germ cells that make immune cells, and begs the question if the mRNA vaccine can permanently alter other germ cells, including those that make sperm cells, making this transferable to children.
It’s hard to trust vaccine research these days, since it is defensively trying to support the premature promotion of the mRNA vaccines. And it may get worse than just spinning results to look positive. See my article, Creating Disease to Sell Vaccines? Measles, RFK Jr., and fight against the people who control the pathogens. https://www.academia.edu/128044107/Creating_Disease_to_Sell_Vaccines_Measles_RFK_Jr_and_fight_against_the_people_who_control_the_pathogens
Thanks!
I believe as I am no expert in this field, that caution ja needed when introducing mRNA vaccines as the testing was short and as with chemicals the long lasting effects will not be known fir decades orcworse generations.
Have you had time to read about self amplifyingmRNA?
saRNA?
It just keeps getting better & better.
They won’t stop making things worse.
Has natural immunity not crossed their minds or is there just too much money in this manufacturered disease to stop?
Turbo Cancer🤬……😭 My sister was a 2x Triple Negative Breast Cancer Survivor of nearly 10 yrs before it came back with a vengeance in April of 2024 but time with a tumor in her brain😔, swelling, causing a stroke and emergency surgery to try to remove it, we didnt expect her to wake up but 2 days later she was moving legs & arms & on that 3rd day she opened her eyes….unfortunately her sight was gone from the tumor & she could no longer swallow, but she was still with us & she was genuinely happy she woke up, if for no other reason other than to get hugs & hear our voices & tell us she loves us. We made the best of the next 3 months we were blessed to have left with her & I will forever fight for the medical world & The Political World to come to an agreement to release information that links these vaccines to these “severe side effects” like “Turbo Cancer” so everyone can make the best decision for themselves or family members that they can based on ALL the information there is on this crap!!!! I guarantee had my sister known the risks back then, she would not have chosen the damn vaccines!!!
Man I feel sorry for the suckers drinking this koolaid.
Does crap like this not give anyone else huge red flags?
“However, a single mRNA-vaccination is not sufficient to potently induce the markers. “Two consecutive vaccinations or a single booster vaccination are required for these persistent epigenetic changes, highlighting the need for multiple vaccinations to maintain a long-term immune response,” says Jan Rybniker.”
Not to mention the MULTIPLE studies showing that “Long COVID” has been directly attributed to those who took mRNA vaccines.
Nonsense. Multiple studies? Name one!
All the evidence doesn’t seem to be enough to stop this insanity.
They’ve even linked Turbo cancer to the vaccine and still they won’t stop.
Oddly, they seem excited about A.I. specific cures for cancer.
Even JD Vance was shown to have dumped millions into this market.
It’s too fast and we’re the test subjects.
The usual cynical clap-trap raises its ugly head in order to discredit vaccination. Oddly enough, if smallpox broke loose, I’ll bet that the antivax brigade would be first in line for a vaccination. Even though there are no mulitple peer-reviewd studies from the last three years that prove that vaccination stops smallpox.
mRNA shots aren’t “vaccines”.
Instead, these shots manufacture TARGETS (spike proteins) in the cell to supposedly train the immune system against a Covid infection. This is not what a vaccine does.
You are wasting your time trying to make people understand.
I think the simple fact that smallpox has been eradicated in the world by assuming that vaccination would prevent acquiring the disease, and health professionals acted accordingly, is sufficient evidence for its efficacy. There is no reason to assume that smallpox would self destruct across different cultures and diets.
According to Copilot, “The World Health Organization officially declared smallpox eradicated in 1980, marking it as the first infectious disease to be completely eliminated through human effort.” Why would any recent peer reviewed research be of importance when it has been declared extirpated in the wild for nearly a half-century? It is now a non-problem.
You can tell these “never wrong, always right” people over and over how bad these vaccines are and they will argue til they’re blue in the face about it, why is there 40 different covid vaccines? Tell my sister & my other friends that the vaccine didn’t cause them to have a stroke or heat attack right after getting the vaccine, tell my sister who only had asthma before vaccine who now is on a donor list for a heart transplant, has viscous blood clots, heart failure, internal bleeding needs transfusions. She’s 41 yrs old.
I have developed Barrett’s and MG since Covid jab
Why does scietech print s*** like this—we all know that these MRNA injections killed people and yet you let something like this out —which has no base in science and to repeatedly take these bio engineered injections is foolishnes —I bet you re trying to market the replicon jabs as well what a shame –this isnt science site you may as call it the enquirer -gossip magazine
This whole Covid vaccine saga had done a lot of damage to the medical profession. Big Pharma are calling the shots making decisions on medical protocols. After years of training doctors are rendered impotent frightened to support their patients with vaccine damage in case their licences are withdrawn or debarred. I had a shocking collapse after the first Covid Vax booster, couldn’t walk properly for 18/12, developed autoimmune Polymyalgia , myocarditis brain fog and a whole catalogue of symptoms . I now search medical research evidence very carefully . My trust in the establishment has been eroded . Big Pharma ‘s money making machine is king with no ethics or respect for humanity. What a world we live in. Let’s hope those who did not listen to doctors like Prof McCullogh get what they deserve and mage to answer . A man made vaccine follower by a vaccination experment.