Development of Glyco-RNA Technologies & Elucidating the Roles of miRs in Head and Neck Cancer Metastasis

This thesis presents two separate projects, both pertaining to RNA. The former project discusses the development of a novel glyco-RNA enrichment method that utilizes lectins. A method which is essential for the field of glyco-RNA research to progress faster. Currently there is only one way for glyco-RNA enrichment which both time and resource intensive. We developed a lectin-based method through optimization of many different conditions that can enrich glyco-RNA. We also explore other methods to improve enrichment which include control of cell culture conditions and heat treatment-based enrichment. These discoveries are essential to lower the barrier of entry to glyco-RNA research. The latter project focuses on miR-206 and its regulation of TAGLN2 and metastatic potential in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Metastasis is a critical factor for survival in head and neck cancers with patients often presenting or developing metastatic tumors during clinical presentation or treatment. It is essential to elucidate the mechanisms which this process arises from and find druggable targets. Our findings uncover miR-206 as a differentially regulated miR in metastatic tumors. We then predict and validate its downstream target TAGLN2 to regulate metastatic potential. These discoveries are important as they highlight both miR-206 and TAGLN2 as a potential druggable target.