Ivan Martinez, PhD, has been researching and studying cellular biology for more than 25 years. With a specialized focus on human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers, he hopes to discover new therapeutic treatment options for people diagnosed with head and neck cancers.

Dr. Martinez and his team are currently working on a study focused on understanding what happens when glycoRNA (a recently discovered molecule that is already present on the surface of all human cells) stops working normally. This abnormal behavior may cause cells to become cancerous. For patients with head and neck cancer related to an HPV infection, there are higher concentrations of these molecules compared to patients who do not carry the HPV virus.

“The discovery of this new type of non-coding RNAs is fascinating because nobody thought that RNAs could be glycosylated just like proteins or lipids,” said Martinez, who is an associate professor in the WVU School of Medicine and WVU Cancer Institute Department of Research Laboratories. “Our preliminary findings show that head and neck cancers related to the infection of HPV have more glycoRNAs in the cell surface than those without it.”

To dig further into this discovery, Martinez and his team of researchers are working collaboratively with Ryan Flynn, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University who discovered glycoRNA in 2021. This collaboration marries Dr. Flynn’s expertise in glycoRNAs with the WVU Cancer Institute team’s focus on HPV-related cancers.

For patients, these new discoveries and collaborations could lead to improved treatment and outcomes.

“With this new knowledge, we have an opportunity to develop innovative diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic treatments. By better understanding the importance of glycoRNAs in HPV-related cancers, we can open the door to new treatments that will benefit patients,” Martinez explained. “Identifying specific glycoRNAs on the surface of HPV positive head and neck cancers could be used as targets for therapeutic treatments using small molecules, RNA-based drugs, or chemotherapy drugs that are specifically targeting these gylcoRNAs and reducing toxicity in patients.”

The team’s work further reinforces the innovative research taking place at WVU and the WVU Cancer Institute.

Funding for the research is provided by the WVU Cancer Institute’s Spark Pilot Award.