Prions are proteins and proteins are formed by folding chains of amino acids. The same amino acid chains that become prions become useful proteins when the folding process goes as expected. RNA contains the blueprints for these chains. Theoretically it should be possible to tweak the mRNA for an amino acid chain in a way that it always folds into a prion.
To create prions, two things must happen: 1. the folding of an amino acid chains goes somehow unexpected, wrong, and 2. the misfolded protein triggers the same misfolding of similar amino acid chains nearby by binding to it, starting a chain reaction.
To start the chain reaction, a prion has to find its way to a source of fresh amino acid chains of almost exactly the same kind it was made of. It seems that they can get transmitted through food and air. So while it is possible that mRNA encodes a protein that starts the chain reaction, there are easier ways to distribute these proteins than to use a syringe. Putting such an RNA sequence into a virus makes sense, but there are many other poisons a virus can create in infected cells. Genetically modified plants could mass produce prions.
Thank you, so this seems to be fear mongering at this point in time?
Could be a distraction. Maybe there are plans to use prions and someone mixed "mRNA" into the rumors to make them sound like conspiracy theories. Like the theories about DNA-changing mRNA vaccines: they cover the fact that the viral vector vaccines (AstraZeneca, ..) use viruses that can do exactly that.
(post is archived)