Teenager wants to cure skin cancer with soap
Sixteen-year-old Heman Bekele has developed a soap intended to treat skin cancer, motivated by his desire to make cancer treatment more affordable and accessible. Bekele's invention, called Skin Cancer Treating Soap (SCTS), uses a drug known for treating skin cancer, imidazoquinoline, embedded in a bar of soap with nanoparticles to help the drug adhere to the skin. Bekele's work has garnered significant recognition, including winning the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and being featured on the cover of Time Magazine. His project has received mentorship from cancer researchers at the University of Virginia and testing support from Johns Hopkins. While the soap is still in the experimental phase, Bekele's innovation highlights the potential for young scientists to contribute to medical research.
Breakdown
- Heman Bekele, a 16-year-old, invented a soap aimed at treating skin cancer. 13s
- Bekele won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge for his invention. 47s
- His soap uses imidazoquinoline, a drug previously used for skin cancer, in a bar form with nanoparticles. 3m 45s
- The invention has attracted mentorship from the University of Virginia and testing at Johns Hopkins. 3m 9s
- Bekele's project aims to make skin cancer treatment more affordable and accessible. 27s