Jozefina Dzanan: Co-driver mutations reshape tumor behavior
Why do tumors with the same main mutation behave differently? Jozefina Dzanan investigates how combinations of genetic changes influence cancer growth, metabolism, and treatment response, offering insights that could guide more precise therapies.
JOZEFINA DZANAN
Dissertation defense: 19 December 2025 (click for details)
Doctoral thesis: Exploring the role of co-driver mutations in cancer: Implications for precision medicine
Research area: Surgery
Sahlgrenska Academy, The Institute of Clinical Sciences
Most cancers contain several genetic mutations that do not act in isolation but interact in ways that influence how tumors behave. Jozefina Dzanan studies these combinations to understand why tumors with similar driver mutations can respond so differently to treatment.
Cancer develops when normal control systems in our cells break down, often because of harmful mutations in key genes. While individual mutations have been studied extensively and are managed separately under the current paradigm of targeted cancer therapies, most tumors carry several alterations that work together in ways that are not yet fully understood.
“My doctoral thesis explores how co-driver mutations in the most frequently mutated genes in cancer, such as KRAS, BRAF, KEAP1, and p53 interact to shape tumor growth, spread, and treatment response,” says Jozefina Dzanan, PhD student in medical science at the Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences.
Precision medicine across cancer types
Her research uses a translational precision medicine approach that combines genetically engineered mouse models, in vitro cell assays, patient-derived tumors, and analyses of human cancer data. The work focuses mainly on lung cancer, complemented by studies in thyroid cancer and melanoma.
“My studies show that the behavior and treatment response of a tumor cannot be explained by a single mutation alone. Co-driver mutations and factors like aging strongly influence how cancers grow and what treatments they respond to,” she says. “These findings highlight the need to consider each tumor’s full genetic context when choosing therapies and may help identify subgroups of patients who could benefit from novel treatments targeting for example, cancer metabolism.”
Finding motivation in complex systems
What has been enjoyable, rewarding, and challenging about your doctoral project?
“It has been deeply rewarding to work at the intersection of genetics, metabolism, and precision medicine, and to see how complex biological mechanisms can be translated into ideas that may improve future cancer treatments,” says Jozefina Dzanan, and continues:
“Exploring these connections has been both inspiring and challenging, especially when experiments did not go as planned or required long-term animal studies. The process has strengthened my scientific curiosity and persistence and taught me the value of collaboration in research.”
Text: Jakob Lundberg