An Ethiopian-born teenager has developed a soap that could treat and prevent skin cancer. Heman Bekele, 15, is Time’s Kid of the Year in honor of his contribution to the fight against skin cancer.
In East Africa, Bekele never paid any attention to the harsh effects of the sun on people’s skin. Everyone went about their business in the harshest sunny conditions without protection. Not many people knew about the consequences.
After a few years, Heman Bekele moved to the United States along with his family. Shortly after his relocation, he received a chemistry set as a Christmas gift. Although he was just 7 at the time, he had enough curiosity in him to find his gift very useful.
Now, that curiosity has paid off. He has become a darling among leading scientists in skin cancer research. Not only has he won global recognition, but he has also attracted lots of support for his research.
Heman Bekele’s innovation has attracted funds. For example, he won $25,000 as prize money for clinching the top prize at the 2023 Young Scientists Challenge. At the competition, his knowledge and work impressed health experts who served as judges. They admitted that his skin cancer treatment innovation is blessed with immense potential.
Bekele’s mentor, Deborah Isabelle, who played a huge role in refining his soap during the competition, has expressed hope in his capabilities. She described him as “kind, intelligent, focused, inspiring, and energetic.”
She also predicted that Bekele will “continue to inspire other young people to realize that science can make a positive difference.” Apparently, her wishes came through.
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Heman Bekele’s New Creation
As he pressed deeper in his quest for knowledge on skin cancer, he ran into an already-existing drug, imiquimod. Imiquimod is a drug that has been approved for the treatment of certain kinds of skin cancer. The drug exists in the form of a cream, which, when used, could also help kill tumors.
Immediately, Heman Bekele’s brain went to work. He wondered if there was a way to use the drug in treating skin cancer in its early stages. Also, the cost of the cream was out of reach for many affected people. So, in addition, Bekele wanted to modify the treatment drug and make it more accessible to the lower class. That’s when he thought about soap.
“Almost everyone uses soap and water for cleaning. So soap would probably be the best option,” he reasoned. Bekele’s soap will cost a lot less than the $40,000 price of the Imiquimod cream.
In a video that Time posted alongside their article on him, Bekele described how the soap works. He disclosed that the soap delivers the Imiquimod through lipid nanoparticles. The nanoparticles activate the body’s immune system and, as a result, successfully kill the cancer.
What Prompted Heman Bekele To Research Skin Cancer
After receiving his chemistry set, Bekele began to perform basic experiments. Fortunately, sodium hydroxide was one of his most preferred and fascinating chemicals. Along the line, his mind went back to his early years in Africa.
He remembered how people were exposed to extreme sunny conditions without any safeguards for the skin, and that was when his search for a solution began.
“When I was younger, I didn’t think much of it, but when I came to America, I realized what a big problem the sun and ultraviolet radiation is when you’re exposed to it for a long time,” Bekele said in an interview with Time.
He developed an interest in skin cancer research and began brainstorming a solution. “I’m really passionate about skin cancer research,” he stated. “Whether it’s my own research or what’s happening in the field.”
Heman Bekele is TIME’s Kid Of the Year
Time has officially announced Bekele as its 2024 Kid of the Year, a prestigious honor many kids look forward to attaining. Bekele graced the front page of TIME magazine with the caption, “A 15-year-old scientist who could change how we treat skin cancer.”
Herman Bekele credits his parents, whose support helped him achieve the feat. His father, Wondwossen, is a staff member at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and his mom, Muluemebet, is a teacher. He has also appreciated his mentors, Deborah Isabbelle and Vito Rebecca, a molecular biologist.
Isabelle has described how happy and proud she is to have been assigned as a mentor to TIME’s Kid of the Year. “I got really lucky,” she said. “Last year was my first year participating as a mentor in the Young Scientist Challenge, and I was paired with Heman.”
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How Long Before Heman Bekele’s Soap Is Approved For Use?
Heman Bekele’s ally and sponsor, Vito Rebecca, has disclosed that it will take about 10 years for the soap to gain the FDA’s approval and be ready for the market. By that time, Bekele will be 25. So, the young chap has a lot of time on his side. He is utilizing the time to promote his work.
In June 2024, he presented his work before an audience of 8,000 at Boston’s Tsonga’s Center. It was a meeting of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, a presentation he described as “nerve-racking” but “fun.”
When he isn’t in school, Heman Bekele is working to improve his idea. Luckily, Vito Rebecca has allowed him access to her lab at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
He enjoys Rebecca’s competent supervision as he tests his soap on rats. Heman Bekele now has everything he needs to finish the journey he began at seven.
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