US student, 14, wins award for developing soap to treat skin cancer

[kpete]

Heman Bekele was inspired by Ethiopian workers laboring under the sun, and wanted to help ‘as many people as possible’

A middle-school teen has been named “America’s top young scientist” after developing a bar of soap that could be useful in the treatment of melanoma, a skin cancer that is diagnosed in about 100,000 people in the US each year and kills approximately 8,000.

Heman Bekele, a 14-year-old ninth grader from Annandale, Virginia, won the award after beating out nine other finalists.

“Curing cancer, one bar of soap at a time,” he said in his submission. “I have always been interested in biology and technology, and this challenge gave me the perfect platform to showcase my ideas,” he added.

He pitched his idea for a soap – the “skin cancer treating soap” – made from compounds that could reactivate dendritic cells that guard human skin, enabling them to fight cancer cells. In a video to the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, Bekele said he believed “that young minds can make a positive impact on the world”.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/oct/25/skin-cancer-soap-virginia-student

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

Excellent.

[cate94]

2. Wow!

That is fantastic!

[50 Shades Of Blue]

3. That - and he - are both amazing!

[Blue Dawn]

4. Thank you for sharing this!

I immediately forwarded the article to someone who has had several skin cancers removed over the past few years. What a wonderful story.

[a kennedy]

5. Love him and his magnificent invention......

I have had my only sister and one of my four brothers both die of melanoma. CANCER SUCKS. Hope this invention goes on to help save some of the victims of melanoma.

[KPN]

6. How cool is that!

Thanks for posting -- we need some positive, inspiring and upbeat stuff around here, right now more than ever it seems.

[Sogo]

7. That's really great!

I hope he has his invention patented so that big pharma doesn't rip him off....

[ProfessorGAC]

8. My Guess

Some major personal care company with pathways to the FDA will facilitate the patent.
P&G, which makes shampoos with medical claims, comes to mind.

[bamagal62]

9. I need this soap!

[ShazzieB]

16. Me, too!

Northern European stock here, mostly British Isles. Boy, could I use this!

[albacore]

10. "Them damn immigrunts...coming to this country and taking prizes from Murikan kids..

...inventin' fancy soap that cures cancer and shit. Build the wall to keep them Ethiopians out!"

[PatSeg]

11. What a wonderful story

I need some positive stories right about now.

[Faux pas]

12. Kickin' with GUSTO

a for great Admiration

[TexasBushwhacker]

13. I hope it can be developed

It still has to be peer reviewed. It still has to go through all the testing for safety and efficacy, and a pharmaceutical company has to see the potential to make big bucks in order to fund the research.

[StarryNite]

14. This is fantastic!

This is why we need young scientists! Kudos to that brilliant young man.

[Hekate]

15. As a person with the usual melanin-deficient Irish skin: sign me up! Actually, climate change

…is making long sun-exposure hazardous for everyone. I am really impressed that the young scientist was inspired by Ethiopian laborers.

[Goddessartist]

17. I love this story so much!

What a wonderful young man!

[dlk]

18. What a creative solution!

And a brilliant young mind!

[Danascot]

19. He might not have been so honored

if he'd invented RSO.

[progressoid]

20. "I have always been interested in biology and technology..."

Always? What, for the last 9 years?

Holy crap dude. Yer 14!

[jaxexpat]

21. Yeah, but does it get things clean?