Twitter deleted a tweet by a pioneer of mRNA technology about viral shedding, a concept referring to the process of the body releasing viral particles due to a vaccine and potentially causing a risk of infection to others. The platform did not provide a reason for deleting the tweet and restricting the mRNA technology expert.
“I believe the ‘shedding’ idea is that the vaccinated shed spike protein, not virus. And, it’s certainly true that people vaccinated with mRNA vaccines shed spike protein, but in miniscule amounts that almost certainly can’t cause disease/malaise in others,” Luigi Warren wrote on Twitter on May 26.
Luigi Warren, currently the CEO and President of California-based biotech firm Cellular Reprogramming, and Derrick Rossi, co-founder of Moderna, are considered pioneers of mRNA technology.
In 2010, the duo became the first to publish a paper on mRNA-based cellular reprogramming in their groundbreaking paper, “Highly efficient reprogramming to pluripotency and directed differentiation of human cells with synthetic modified mRNA.”
The journal Science and TIME magazine listed their work as one of the top ten medical and scientific breakthroughs of 2010.
Twitter’s move to delete his tweet is bold and another example of how social media companies are getting it wrong in the fight against misinformation, especially on debated science.
Luigi did appeal Twitter’s decision. But until Twitter reviews the appeal, he will remain locked out of his account. In his appeal he pointed out that he was “the inventor of the technology on which Moderna was founded,” suggesting he knows the science.
