Washington, July 20 (SANA)An experimental targeted therapy has shown promising results against melanoma driven by NRAS gene mutations, offering hope for a new treatment option for patients with advanced forms of the disease, researchers at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah said.

The findings, published by Medical Xpress, focus on a drug that targets the NRAS protein, a member of the RAS family of proteins that regulates cell growth. Mutations in the gene can fuel uncontrolled cancer cell growth, while the experimental therapy works by blocking the protein’s activity and slowing tumor progression.

Researchers said NRAS mutations occur in roughly one-quarter of melanoma cases, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer, for which effective targeted treatments remain limited.

The drug has also shown encouraging results in clinical studies involving cancers driven by RAS mutations. In a trial involving patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, the therapy extended median survival for some participants, suggesting it could have broader applications across multiple cancer types.

Advanced melanoma is currently treated primarily with immunotherapy, which stimulates the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells. Patients whose disease does not respond, or later becomes resistant, may receive targeted therapies aimed at specific cancer-related proteins.

The researchers said the findings represent an important step toward developing more effective treatments for patients with NRAS-mutant melanoma, while noting that further clinical studies are needed to confirm the drug’s long-term effectiveness and durability.