Michigan State University has honored Dohun Pyeon, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology, with the title of MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor in recognition of his pioneering work, particularly in human papillomavirus (HPV) and head and neck cancers.
Normal cells send up red flags when under attack from viruses or cancer, alerting the body’s immune system that it’s time to fight back. Yet some head and neck cancers, particularly those triggered by infection with HPV, remain invisible to the body’s natural immunity, allowing the cancer to grow unchecked.
A team of scientists at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences led by Pyeon recently discovered how HPV-positive tumors evade the immune system, a finding that could lead to better treatments.
“Your partnerships within the campus community and beyond have elevated MSU and we know with the new aspects around your roles and responsibilities you will do more great things in the years ahead with MSU and Henry Ford + MSU,” Shashank Priya, PhD, vice president for research and innovation, and Provost Laura Lee McIntyre, PhD, wrote in a letter notifying Pyeon of the accolade.
“It’s a huge honor to me,” Pyeon said. “It means a lot, because it recognizes my research as very important work.”
The title comes with a $60,000 annual grant for five years to support his research, and it could attract additional attention and funding.
Head and neck cancers, particularly those related to HPV infection, have been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years, accounting for about 5 percent of all cancer diagnoses. About 25 percent of all head and neck cancers are related to HPV infections.
Pyeon primarily focuses on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer that originates in the mucous linings of the mouth, throat, and voice box.
His team found that the HPV virus upregulates a protein called MARCHF8, blocking the cells from sending up warning flags that they are under attack by cancer, leaving them invisible to the immune system. By blocking the MARCHF8 protein, the team was able to activate a robust immune response.
“Using our model,” Pyeon said, “we showed that when we eliminate the MARCHF8 protein, we have significant tumor suppression.”
That discovery not only helps the body’s natural immunity fight HPV-related cancers, but could lead to effective treatments, including immunotherapy, he said.
An estimated 85 percent of people will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About half of those infections are caused by high-risk strains that can lead to cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, and anus, as well as head and neck. The body can usually fight the virus, but persistent cases can lead to cancer later in life.
Additional research is still needed, Pyeon said, adding that clinical trials with human patients are many years away.
The best way of fighting HPV-related cancer is by preventing it, he said, through increased vaccination rates of young people before they are exposed to the virus. Nationally, fewer than 63 percent of adolescents have been fully vaccinated against HPV, according to the CDC.
Pyeon’s designation as an MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor is just one indication of the important work MSU researchers are doing to improve human health.
“That’s why it’s such an exciting time to be here,” he said, “especially with our partnership with Henry Ford Health.”
Originally published by MSU College of Human Medicine by Pat Shellenbarger.