Bas Vastert

Full Professor

Strategic program(s):

Biography

Bas is a pediatric rheumatologist in the “EULAR center of excellence in rheumatology" Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital Utrecht. Besides being an esteemed clinician in the field of Pediatric Rheumatology, he has developed into a translational researcher, with a PhD on mechanisms of disease and therapy in severe JIA in 2013. From 2015, he has been starting a translational research group together with Jorg van Loosdregt, molecular biologist. They currently supervise 5 PhD students, 1 post-doc and 2 technicians together, within the Center of Translational Immunology in Utrecht (v Loosdregt-Vastert group). Their labgroup aims to translate cutting edge science into clinical benefit for patients and their research focusses on systemic JIA and on development of novel treatment strategies for JIA. Bas is currently leading a multi-center prospective trial implementing a biomarker driven stop-strategy for rIL-1RA therapy in systemic JIA in the Netherlands (the ESTIS trial).

In addition, as a designated Young Investigator, Bas is the Dutch lead for all translational laboratory studies within UCAN CAN DU (major infrastructural research project 2017-2021 in Canada and the Netherlands).

Key words: Translational research in childhood arthritis, biology of systemic JIA, (regulation of) auto-inflammation, regulation of autoimmune inflammation, epigenetics.

Strategic program(s):

Contact

bvastert@umcutrecht.nl

Pure profile

Research groups

Translational immunology

Research aim

It is our goal to improve the diagnosis and treatment of immune-related diseases with a focus on Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

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Recent publications

All publications

LDL receptor-mediated lipoprotein uptake fuels human CD4+ T cell polarization toward a c-MAF/IL-10- and FOXP3-driven phenotype Angela Markovska, Niels S van Heusden, Dagmar Duijzer, Alejandra Bodelón, Greta Rogani, Enric Mocholi, Edwin Ca Stigter, Can Gulersonmez, Sander Kooijman, Leonie Van der Zee, Monique T Mulder, Jeanine E Roeters van Lennep, Patrick Cn Rensen, Jorg van Loosdregt, Sebastiaan J Vastert, Noam Zelcer, Marianne Boes, Henk S Schipper
JCI Insight, 2026, vol. 11, p.1-22

Speaking the same language Michael G Matt, Sabrina Fuehner, Thuy Do, Susanne Schleifenbaum, Samuel Chiang, Rebecca Marsh, Carine Wouters, Patrick Matthys, Mieke Gouwy, Dirk Foell, Claas Hinze, Scott Canna, Ivan Caiello, Giusi Prencipe, Claudia Bracaglia, Fabrizio De Benedetti, Dilan Dissanayake, Y Ingrid Goh, Dorte Hamann, Rianne Scholman, Sebastiaan Vastert, Kelly L Brown, David A Cabral, Grant Schulert, Christoph Kessel,
Pediatric rheumatology online journal, 2026, vol. 24

Pyrin Inflammasome Activation Triggers an IL-18-Driven IFNγ Response in Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency Niels S van Heusden, Isa Cuijpers, Nils Meijer, Daan Pieren, Angela Markovska, Cem Gabay, Charlotte Girard, Isabelle Koné-Paut, Bas Vastert, Dörte Hamann, Judith Jans, Erika Van Nieuwenhove, Joost Frenkel, Marianne Boes
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2026, vol. 158, p.253-268

Adoption of new treatment options in non-systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in clinical practice Hedda C Lamers, Erika Van Nieuwenhove, Sebastiaan J Vastert, Marc H A Jansen, Annet van Royen-Kerkhof, Joost F Swart, Sytze de Roock
Pediatric rheumatology online journal, 2025, vol. 23

Regulation of CLK1 Isoform Expression by Alternative Splicing in Activated Human Monocytes Contributes to Activation-Associated TNF Production Maurice J H van Haaren, Alejandra Bodelón, Lyanne J P M Sijbers, Rianne Scholman, Lucas W Picavet, Jorg J A Calis, Sebastiaan J Vastert, Jorg van Loosdregt
Cells, 2025, vol. 14

Transcriptional Regulation of WTAP Isoforms by NF-κB Signaling in Human Monocytes Lucas W. Picavet, Hisham I. Abu-Tawil, Lyanne J.P.M. Sijbers, Jorg J.A. Calis, Nienke ter Haar, Alejandra Bodelón, Sebastiaan J. Vastert, Jorg van Loosdregt
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025, vol. 26

Fellowships & Awards

- 2007: Young investigator Meeting, Pediatric rheumatology European Society: Award for best basic abstract .

- 2014: Wilhelmina Research Fund (co-applicant), € 150 000 : Dissecting the complex role of S100-proteins in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

- 2015: ZonMW Rational Pharmacotherapy grant, € 340 000 : Biomarker guided treatment and stop strategy for rIL-1RA therapy in systemic JIA.

- 2016-2019: Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis Fonds, Rosenberg foundation / Vrienden WKZ (€340 000): Modulation of Treg in JIA by Nicotinamide. Principal Investigator, no overlap.

- 2016-2021: ZonMW grant, Rational Pharmacotherapy for implementation of biomarker guided tapering strategy of rIL-1RA in systemic JIA (€340 000 + €190 000 contribution Sobi). Principal Investigator, clinical trial, no overlap.

- 2017-2021: UCAN CAN DU: (8,0 mln Can$). Canada – Netherlands Personalized Medicine Network in Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatic diseases. Young Investigator, NL lead for laboratory studies within UCAN CAN DU. (PI: R. Yeung, NM Wulffraat, co-PI JF Swart, S. Benseler).

External positions

Chair Guideline Committee ERN-RITA - Establishing a framework to develop clinical treatment guidelines for the 4 streams within ERN-RITA - ERN-RITA