Ronald Swanstrom

About

Ronald Swanstrom is the Charles P. Postelle, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds a joint appointment in Microbiology and Immunology and is a Community and Engagement Committee Member, as well as a Co-Director of the UNC Center For AIDS Research. His research focuses on HIV-1 replication and pathogenesis, utilizing genetic diversity to study important biological questions surrounding HIV-1. His work involves comparing viral populations in different body locations, understanding how these populations evolve and contribute to disease pathogenesis, including HIV-associated dementia. Swanstrom's research also explores the genetic diversity in the latent viral reservoir, informing the timing of reservoir creation and activity levels, as well as guiding vaccine development and drug resistance strategies. Additionally, his lab investigates approaches to induce viral error catastrophe as a potential strategy for viral extinction.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Biology
• Microbiology
• Pathology
• Genetics
• Virology
• Molecular biology
• Computational biology
• Family medicine
• Pharmacology

Selected publications

• An orally bioavailable broad-spectrum antiviral inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in human airway epithelial cell cultures and multiple coronaviruses in mice

  Science Translational Medicine · 2020 · 1157 citations

  A ribonucleoside analog inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in human airway epithelial cell cultures and SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV in mice.

  DOI

• β-<scp>d</scp>-<i>N</i>4-hydroxycytidine Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Through Lethal Mutagenesis But Is Also Mutagenic To Mammalian Cells

  The Journal of Infectious Diseases · 2021 · 292 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  Mutagenic ribonucleosides can act as broad-based antiviral agents. They are metabolized to the active ribonucleoside triphosphate form and concentrate in genomes of RNA viruses during viral replication. β-d-N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC, initial metabolite of molnupiravir) is >100-fold more active than ribavirin or favipiravir against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with antiviral activity correlated to the level of mutagenesis in virion RNA. However, NHC also displays ho…

  DOI

• Determination of RNA structural diversity and its role in HIV-1 RNA splicing

  Nature · 2020 · 259 citations

  DOI

• N4-Hydroxycytidine/molnupiravir inhibits RNA virus-induced encephalitis by producing less fit mutated viruses

  PLoS Pathogens · 2024-09-30 · 11 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  A diverse group of RNA viruses have the ability to gain access to the central nervous system (CNS) and cause severe neurological disease. Current treatment for people with this type of infection is generally limited to supportive care. To address the need for reliable antivirals, we utilized a strategy of lethal mutagenesis to limit virus replication. We evaluated ribavirin (RBV), favipiravir (FAV) and N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC) against La Crosse virus (LACV), which is one of the most common cause…

  PublisherDOI

• HIV-1 single-transcription start-site mutants display complementary replication functions that are restored by reversion

  Journal of Virology · 2025-03-04 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT HIV-1 transcription initiates at two positions, generating RNAs with either cap 1G or cap 3G 5′ ends. The replication fates of these RNAs differ, with viral particles encapsidating almost exclusively cap 1G RNAs and cap 3G RNAs retained in cells where they are enriched on polysomes and among spliced viral RNAs. Here, we studied replication properties of virus promoter mutants that produced only one RNA 5′ isoform or the other: separately, in combination, and during spreading infection.…

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01MH101024

  NIH · $1.9M · 2019

• NIH Grant R01AI102732

  NIH · $2.0M · 2017

• NIH Grant R37AI044667

  NIH · $3.4M · 2016

Frequent coauthors

• Shuntai Zhou

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  79 shared

• Sarah Joseph

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  72 shared

• Julie A. Nelson

  University of Tampa

  65 shared

• Joseph J. Eron

  64 shared

• Susan A. Fiscus

  57 shared

• Ann Emery

  UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

  50 shared

• Myron S. Cohen

  49 shared

• Laura P. Kincer

  45 shared

Labs

• Swanstrom LabPI

Awards & honors

• Hyman L. Battle Distinguished Cancer Research Award (2020)
• Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (2014)
• Charles Postelle Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry (20…
• NIH Merit Award (2005-2015)
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (2001)

Similar researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Michael Rubinsteinh-90
• William Marzluffh-78
• Brian D. Strahlh-77