Rare myocarditis after mRNA vaccination: Mitochondrial stress identified as a key factor

Myocarditis is recognized as a rare but serious adverse reaction to messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination against COVID-19. Researchers at University of Tsukuba have demonstrated that mRNA vaccination induces the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species under conditions of mitochondrial vulnerability, which triggers inflammatory cell death in cardiomyocytes, ultimately leading to impaired cardiac function.