Human study · Research · 22 Oct 2026
In a poxvirus lab model, extra RNA, including ordinary messenger RNA, impaired mitochondria without an immune response
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
What the research found
Study (laboratory). Djamal Brahim Belhaouari, Zhilong Yang, and colleagues report in PNAS (2026; 123(22); DOI 10.1073/pnas.2605194123). ScienceDaily carried it on 21 Oct 2026. During poxvirus infection, RNA built up and mitochondrial respiration fell. The damage still appeared when the team isolated mitochondria and added RNA, and it showed up before a strong immune response. Ordinary messenger RNA, not only double-stranded viral RNA, was enough to impair the organelles in that setup. The authors suggest a charge effect and say the mechanism is still unknown. They also say the work does not show that current mRNA vaccines damage mitochondria in people. This is a cell and virus experiment, not a human treatment study. Not medical advice.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
Read the original at Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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