Scientists have developed a promising new cancer therapy that can stop tumors from growing while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

The treatment is now moving into its first human clinical trial.

The therapy targets a gene called RAS, which normally controls how cells grow and divide.

When RAS mutates, it can send continuous signals that make cells grow uncontrollably, which happens in about one in five cancers.

Until now, finding a way to block RAS without affecting normal cells has been very difficult.

Researchers discovered special chemical compounds that prevent RAS from interacting with a key pathway that drives tumor growth, without disrupting the gene’s other important functions.

In experiments with mice, the treatment successfully stopped tumor growth in cancers with RAS mutations and also worked in tumors linked to another gene, HER2, which is often overactive in breast cancer.

Surprisingly, the mice showed no signs of harmful side effects, like high blood sugar.

The therapy was even more effective when combined with other drugs targeting the same growth pathway, producing stronger and longer-lasting results.

The treatment has now entered human clinical trials to test its safety and effectiveness in people with RAS or HER2 mutations.

Researchers hope it could eventually offer a way to treat a wide range of cancers with fewer side effects than current therapies.