14-year-old develops soap that treats mild forms of skin cancer
The soap would offer a low cost treatment option for people who need it.
14-year-old creates soap that treats skin cancer
Cancer is a scary word no matter what kind of cancer it is. But skin cancer is extremely common for those with fairer skin though it can and does occur in people with darker skin as well. It's often advised to slather yourself in a high SPF sunscreen, wear hats, sunglasses and stay in shaded areas when needing to be outside for long periods of time, skin cancer still can still develop.
While the disease is common, treatments can still be fairly expensive. One teen put on his thinking cap to attempt to find a way to not only treat skin cancer but make the treatment more affordable. 14-year-old Heman Bekele recently won an award from 3M's Young Scientists Challenge, for what he's named STS, which stands for skin cancer treating soap.
That's right, a boy who just barely reached his teen years has created a soap that treats milder forms of skin cancer.
The soap uses nanoparticles to release cancer fighting drugs when it's being used by activating the body's immune cells. Heman lives in Virginia but immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia, where he explained that people didn't have much knowledge on what happens when you're constantly exposed to the sun.
"People work really long hours in the sun and there is no awareness or any sort of information being shared around about how dangerous sun exposure really is," He tells ABC News. "So when they do end up developing issues like skin cancers, it's really just incredibly difficult for them to be able to afford the affordable cures."
Heman's skin cancer treatment soap only costs about $8 a bar and you can learn all about it below: