About
Introduction
Rik de Swart graduated as biologist from the University of Utrecht in 1990. He obtained his PhD in the field of immunotoxicology of marine mammals in 1995. Subsequently, he became employed as postdoc at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. Since 2001 he is a workgroup leader at the Erasmus MC department of Viroscience. He became an Associate Professor in 2019 and obtained ius promovendi in 2022.
In 2021 Rik de Swart started in a new position as virologist at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research in Lelystad (0.8 FTE), while also remaining affiliated with the department Viroscience of Erasmus MC (0.2 FTE).
In Lelystad Rik primarily investigates respiratory virus infections of livestock animals, and combines stem cell-based models of airway epithelial cells and animal models of disease as a One Health approach to understanding viral pathogenesis, developing intervention strategies and support pandemic preparedness.
Field(s) of expertise
Field(s) of expertise
The theme of my research is to understand the immunopathogenesis of paramyxoviruses, especially morbilliviruses (including measles virus and canine distemper virus) and pneumoviruses (including respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus). My studies focus on interactions between these viruses and the host immune system, with as ultimate aim to identify correlates of disease or protection and to develop novel intervention strategies.
Research
Over the last decade, the implementation of recombinant viruses expressing fluorescent reporter proteins has vastly improved the sensitivity of our in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo model systems, as these viruses facilitate detection of virus-infected cells. These studies have resulted in the identification of the predominant target cells of measles virus infection during the early, intermediate and late stages of infection in non-human primates. In addition, the immune amnesia model was developed to explain the mechanism of measles immune suppression. Recently, further support for this model was obtained in human case-based epidemiological and clinical outbreak studies, resulting in three high impact publications in Nature Communications (2018), Science Immunology (2019) and Science (2019).
In 2020 Rik became actively involved in studies into the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19, including characterization of cellular immune responses in severe ARDS patients and evaluation of novel antiviral therapy in animal models. In addition, his group demonstrated the efficacy of fusion-inhibitory peptides against SARS-CoV-2 in a direct contact virus transmission model in ferrets (De Vries et al, Science 2021).
Publications
Selected publications
- Predominant infection of CD150+ lymphocytes and dendritic cells during measles virus infection of macaques. PLoS Pathog.
De Swart R.L., M. Ludlow, L. de Witte, Y. Yanagi, G. van Amerongen, S. McQuaid, S. Yüksel, T.B.H. Geijtenbeek, W.P. Duprex and A.D.M.E. Osterhaus.3:e178 (2007).
- Measles immune suppression: lessons from the macaque model.
De Vries R.D., S. McQuaid, G. van Amerongen, S. Yüksel, R.J. Verburgh, A.D.M.E. Osterhaus, W.P. Duprex and R.L. de Swart PLoS Pathog 8:e1002885 (2012).
- Long-term measles-induced immunomodulation increases overall childhood infectious disease mortality.
Mina M.J., C.J.E. Metcalf, R.L. de Swart, A.D.M.E. Osterhaus and B.T. Grenfell.Science 348:694-699 (2015).
- Studies into the mechanism of measles-associated immune suppression during a measles outbreak in the Netherlands.
B.M. Laksono, R.D. de Vries, R.J. Verburgh, E.G. Visser, A. de Jong, P.L.A. Fraaij, W.L.M. Ruijs, D.F. Nieuwenhuijse, H.J. van den Ham, M.P.G. Koopmans, M.C. van Zelm, A.D.M.E. Osterhaus, R.L. de Swart RL. Nat Commun. 9(1):4944 (2018).
- Measles virus infection diminishes preexisting antibodies that offer protection from other pathogens.
M.J. Mina, T. Kula, Y. Leng, M. Li, R. D. de Vries, M. Knip, H. Siljander, M. Rewers, D.F. Choy, M.S. Wilson, H.B. Larman, A.N. Nelson, D.E. Griffin, R.L. de Swart, S.J. Elledge. Science 366(6465):599-606 (2019).
- Incomplete genetic reconstitution of B cell pools contributes to prolonged immunosuppression after measles.
V.N. Petrova, B. Sawatsky, A.X. Han, B.M. Laksono, L. Walz, E. Parker, K. Pieper, C.A. Anderson, R.D. de Vries, A. Lanzavecchia, P. Kellam, V. von Messling, R.L de Swart, C.A. Russell. Sci Immunol. 4(41):eaay6125 (2019).
- Intranasal fusion inhibitory lipopeptide prevents direct contact SARS-CoV-2 transmission in ferrets.
R.D. de Vries, K.S. Schmitz, F.T. Bovier, D. Noack, B.L. Haagmans, S. Biswas, B. Rockx, S.H. Gellman, C.A. Alabi, R.L. de Swart, A. Moscona, M. Porotto. Science 371(6536):1379-1382 (2021).
- Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Subgroup A and B Infections in Nasal, Bronchial, Small-Airway, and Organoid-Derived Respiratory Cultures.
L.C. Rijsbergen, M.M. Lamers, A.D. Comvalius, R.W. Koutstaal, D. Schipper, W.P Duprex, B.L. Haagmans, R.D. de Vries, R.L. de Swart. mSphere 6:e00237-21 (2021).
- Inoculation of raccoons with a wildtype-based recombinant canine distemper virus results in viremia, lymphopenia, fever and widespread histological lesions.
D. Roelofs, K.S. Schmitz, G. van Amerongen, L.C. Rijsbergen, B.M. Laksono, A.D. Comvalius, S. Nambulli, L.J. Rennick, P. van Run, W.P. Duprex, J.M.A. van den Brand, R.L. de Swart, R.D. de Vries. mSphere e0014423 (2023).
- Infection of ferrets with wildtype-based recombinant canine distemper virus overwhelms the immune system and causes fatal systemic disease.
B.M. Laksono, D. Roelofs, A.D. Comvalius, K.S. Schmitz, L.C. Rijsbergen, D. Geers, S. Nambulli, P. van Run, W.P. Duprex, J.M.A. van den Brand, R.D. de Vries, R.L. de Swart. mSphere e0008223 (2023).
