A Virginia highschool freshman was in search of a fun science experiment — and ended up making a soap with the aim of treating skin cancer.
Heman Bekele, who attends W.T. Woodson High School within the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system, was crowned “America’s Top Young Scientist” and awarded $25,000 after winning this 12 months’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
The teenager’s idea for making a soap to treat skin cancer stemmed from his memories of individuals working long hours outside under the glaring sun in Ethiopia, his native country.
“Skin cancer is generally found on individuals who live inside developing countries,” Bekele said in a press release from FCPS.
“But the typical price for an operation is $40,000.”
“I used to be devastated by the thought of individuals having to choose from treatment and putting food on the table for his or her families,” he continued.
“There are such a lot of preventable deaths.”
An aspiring scientist, Bekele began researching skin cancer — particularly dendritic cells, which help the immune system attack cancer cells.
He used various ingredients — including salicylic acid, glycolic acid and tretinoin — to create a skin-cancer-treating soap that helps stimulate dendritic cells.
Considered one of the most important challenges, Bekele said, was to maintain the soap from flaking into pieces.
He ended up using a combination of moisturizer, coconut oil and organic shea butter to perform that.
The method taught the teenager the worth of persistence, Bekele said; one major challenge was finding the precise combination of ingredients to make sure the soap held together without flaking into pieces.
Using 3M Cavilon (a moisturizer and barrier cream), coconut oil and organic shea butter, he was in a position to make that occur.
Eric D. Whitman, M.D., medical director of Atlantic Health System Cancer Care in Latest Jersey, said Bekele’s invention is an “interesting way of making a topical immune activating agent that might help treat or prevent some skin cancers.”
(Whitman was not involved within the project.)
“While [this is] a remarkable effort from such a vivid and motivated young man, further clinical testing is required to seek out out if the soap ‘reactivates’ dendritic cells, and even treats or prevents cancer,” Whitman told Fox News Digital in an email.
“I hope this young scientist continues his work and is given a likelihood to collaborate with clinical centers to check his product and see if it fulfills its potential promise.”
The teenager worked with a mentor, Deborah Isabelle, a product engineering specialist at 3M in Minnesota, to develop his soap over the summer.
Bekele also received support from University of Virginia researchers, FCPS teachers and his own parents.
The teenager’s profound curiosity concerning the STEM field began at a really early age, his parents told Fox News Digital in an email.
“Heman has all the time been enthusiastic about difficult himself beyond school,” said his mother, Muluemebet G. Ejigu, and father, Wondwossen B. Gemechu, in a joint statement.
“He is incredibly self-driven, energetic and motivated beyond his age. We, as parents, believed in him, created the environment and space, encouraged him to follow his dreams and to try things that appear to be inconceivable.”
They added, “More importantly, we promoted giving back and making an impact within the society.”
Amongst 10 competitors, Bekele was announced the winner earlier this month at 3M’s Global Headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The participants were evaluated based on “ingenuity and revolutionary considering, application of STEM principles, demonstration of passion and research, presentation skills and talent to encourage others,” in response to a 3M press release.
Bekele plans to make use of his money prize toward securing a patent for his soap and saving for school.
In the long run, he hopes to launch a nonprofit organization to distribute his soap in low-income communities.
“We’re excited to see Heman’s dedication and resilience paying off,” the teenager’s parents said. “It is usually a confirmation for teenagers like him that it is feasible.”
They added, “We’re extremely happy with his accomplishment and searching forward to his next steps to creating a difference on this planet.”
Bekele’s mentor, Isabelle, said she had the advantage of learning from him, too.
“It was such a privilege to support Heman throughout this process,” she told Fox News Digital in an email.
“He saw a necessity and used science to resolve it. While I asked questions, made just a few suggestions and connected Heman to some additional experts to assist make his project successful, ultimately the thought, the drive and the prototype were all Heman’s inspiration and exertions.”
Through interacting with the talented finalists, Isabelle said she was reminded that “all it takes to resolve the world’s problems is the determination to accomplish that.”
She added, “It’s something we adults would do well to recollect.”
A Virginia highschool freshman was in search of a fun science experiment — and ended up making a soap with the aim of treating skin cancer.
Heman Bekele, who attends W.T. Woodson High School within the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system, was crowned “America’s Top Young Scientist” and awarded $25,000 after winning this 12 months’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
The teenager’s idea for making a soap to treat skin cancer stemmed from his memories of individuals working long hours outside under the glaring sun in Ethiopia, his native country.
“Skin cancer is generally found on individuals who live inside developing countries,” Bekele said in a press release from FCPS.
“But the typical price for an operation is $40,000.”
“I used to be devastated by the thought of individuals having to choose from treatment and putting food on the table for his or her families,” he continued.
“There are such a lot of preventable deaths.”
An aspiring scientist, Bekele began researching skin cancer — particularly dendritic cells, which help the immune system attack cancer cells.
He used various ingredients — including salicylic acid, glycolic acid and tretinoin — to create a skin-cancer-treating soap that helps stimulate dendritic cells.
Considered one of the most important challenges, Bekele said, was to maintain the soap from flaking into pieces.
He ended up using a combination of moisturizer, coconut oil and organic shea butter to perform that.
The method taught the teenager the worth of persistence, Bekele said; one major challenge was finding the precise combination of ingredients to make sure the soap held together without flaking into pieces.
Using 3M Cavilon (a moisturizer and barrier cream), coconut oil and organic shea butter, he was in a position to make that occur.
Eric D. Whitman, M.D., medical director of Atlantic Health System Cancer Care in Latest Jersey, said Bekele’s invention is an “interesting way of making a topical immune activating agent that might help treat or prevent some skin cancers.”
(Whitman was not involved within the project.)
“While [this is] a remarkable effort from such a vivid and motivated young man, further clinical testing is required to seek out out if the soap ‘reactivates’ dendritic cells, and even treats or prevents cancer,” Whitman told Fox News Digital in an email.
“I hope this young scientist continues his work and is given a likelihood to collaborate with clinical centers to check his product and see if it fulfills its potential promise.”
The teenager worked with a mentor, Deborah Isabelle, a product engineering specialist at 3M in Minnesota, to develop his soap over the summer.
Bekele also received support from University of Virginia researchers, FCPS teachers and his own parents.
The teenager’s profound curiosity concerning the STEM field began at a really early age, his parents told Fox News Digital in an email.
“Heman has all the time been enthusiastic about difficult himself beyond school,” said his mother, Muluemebet G. Ejigu, and father, Wondwossen B. Gemechu, in a joint statement.
“He is incredibly self-driven, energetic and motivated beyond his age. We, as parents, believed in him, created the environment and space, encouraged him to follow his dreams and to try things that appear to be inconceivable.”
They added, “More importantly, we promoted giving back and making an impact within the society.”
Amongst 10 competitors, Bekele was announced the winner earlier this month at 3M’s Global Headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The participants were evaluated based on “ingenuity and revolutionary considering, application of STEM principles, demonstration of passion and research, presentation skills and talent to encourage others,” in response to a 3M press release.
Bekele plans to make use of his money prize toward securing a patent for his soap and saving for school.
In the long run, he hopes to launch a nonprofit organization to distribute his soap in low-income communities.
“We’re excited to see Heman’s dedication and resilience paying off,” the teenager’s parents said. “It is usually a confirmation for teenagers like him that it is feasible.”
They added, “We’re extremely happy with his accomplishment and searching forward to his next steps to creating a difference on this planet.”
Bekele’s mentor, Isabelle, said she had the advantage of learning from him, too.
“It was such a privilege to support Heman throughout this process,” she told Fox News Digital in an email.
“He saw a necessity and used science to resolve it. While I asked questions, made just a few suggestions and connected Heman to some additional experts to assist make his project successful, ultimately the thought, the drive and the prototype were all Heman’s inspiration and exertions.”
Through interacting with the talented finalists, Isabelle said she was reminded that “all it takes to resolve the world’s problems is the determination to accomplish that.”
She added, “It’s something we adults would do well to recollect.”
