A Virginia high school freshman was seeking a fun science experiment and ended up making a soap with the goal of treating skin cancer. Heman Bekele, who attends W.T. Woodson High School in the Fairfax County Public Schools system, was crowned “America’s Top Young Scientist” and awarded $25,000 after winning this year’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
Bekele’s idea for making a soap to treat skin cancer stemmed from his memories of people working long hours outside under the glaring sun in his native country, Ethiopia. In a press release from FCPS, he said, “Skin cancer is mostly found in people who live within developing countries. But the average price for an operation is $40,000.”
Bekele continued, “I was devastated by the idea of people having to choose between treatment and putting food on the table for their families. There are so many preventable deaths.” As an aspiring scientist, Bekele started researching skin cancer, particularly dendritic cells, which help the immune system attack cancer cells. He used various ingredients, including glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and tretinoin, to create a skin-cancer-treating soap that helps stimulate dendritic cells.
The process taught Bekele the value of persistence, he said. One significant challenge was finding the right combination of ingredients to ensure the soap held together without flaking into pieces. Using 3M Cavilon, a moisturizer and barrier cream, organic shea butter and coconut oil, he was able to make that happen. Eric D. Whitman, M.D., medical director of Atlantic Health System Cancer Care in New Jersey, said Bekele’s invention is an “interesting way of creating a topical immune activating agent that could help treat or prevent some skin cancers.” It should be noted that Whitman wasn’t involved in the project.
Whitman said, “While [this is] a remarkable effort from such a bright and motivated young man, further clinical testing is required to find out if the soap ‘reactivates’ dendritic cells, or even treats or prevents cancer. I hope this young scientist continues his work and is given a chance to collaborate with clinical centers to test his product and see if it fulfills its potential promise.”
The teen 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 parents. The teen’s profound curiosity about the STEM field began at a very early age, his parents told Fox News Digital in an email.
“Heman has always been passionate about challenging himself beyond school,” said his mother, Muluemebet G. Ejigu, and father, Wondwossen B. Gemechu, in a joint statement. Among 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 innovative thinking, application of STEM principles, demonstration of passion and research, presentation skills and ability to inspire others,” according to a 3M press release. Bekele plans to use his cash prize toward securing a patent for his soap and saving for college. In the future, he hopes to launch a nonprofit organization to distribute his soap in low-income communities.