{"id":691064,"date":"2025-09-20T13:15:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T10:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-and-a-14-year-old-invented-it\/"},"modified":"2025-09-20T13:15:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T10:15:21","slug":"this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-and-a-14-year-old-invented-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-and-a-14-year-old-invented-it\/","title":{"rendered":"This Soap Fights Skin Cancer: And A 14-Year Old Invented It"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3f0ecc8091f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3f0ecc8091f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-and-a-14-year-old-invented-it\/#SHARE\" >SHARE<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-box clearfix entry-content\" style=\"max-width:1050px;\">\n                        <input class=\"jpibfi\" type=\"hidden\"><\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-579762\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/09\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-meet-the-14-year-old-who-invented-it\/skin_cancer_fighting_soap_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/09\/19\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-and-a-14-year-old-invented-it\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"This Soap Fights Skin Cancer: And A 14-Year Old Invented It\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/09\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-meet-the-14-year-old-who-invented-it\/skin_cancer_fighting_soap_1.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Innovation sometimes comes from the most unexpected sources, and nothing proves this better than the groundbreaking work of Heman Bekele. This 14-year-old wunderkind from Virginia has developed something that seasoned scientists and pharmaceutical companies haven\u2019t quite cracked: an affordable soap that could potentially treat and prevent skin cancer. What makes his invention so revolutionary isn\u2019t just the concept but the elegant simplicity behind it, combining basic chemistry with sophisticated drug delivery systems in a way that makes you wonder why nobody thought of it before.<\/p>\n<p>The scientific community has certainly taken notice. Bekele\u2019s Skin Cancer Treating Soap (SCTS) earned him the 3M Young Scientist Challenge award with a $25,000 prize, landed him on TIME magazine\u2019s cover as their 2024 Kid of the Year, and most recently secured him the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes with another $10,000 to support his research. Not bad for someone who still has to balance lab work with high school homework and marching band practice.<\/p>\n<p>Designer: Heman Bekele<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-579763\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/09\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-meet-the-14-year-old-who-invented-it\/skin_cancer_fighting_soap_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"959\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/09\/19\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-and-a-14-year-old-invented-it\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"This Soap Fights Skin Cancer: And A 14-Year Old Invented It\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/09\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-meet-the-14-year-old-who-invented-it\/skin_cancer_fighting_soap_2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-579763\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/09\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-meet-the-14-year-old-who-invented-it\/skin_cancer_fighting_soap_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"959\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/09\/19\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-and-a-14-year-old-invented-it\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"This Soap Fights Skin Cancer: And A 14-Year Old Invented It\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/09\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-meet-the-14-year-old-who-invented-it\/skin_cancer_fighting_soap_2.jpg\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px 0; clear: both;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 4px; margin: 18px auto 20px; text-align:center;\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7222236028814181\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\" type=\"af70e0b10337b112f5de9850-text\/javascript\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- In-Content-Ad-1 --><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"af70e0b10337b112f5de9850-text\/javascript\">\n<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Bekele\u2019s innovation journey started with his childhood observations in Ethiopia, where he witnessed countless people working long hours under the scorching sun without protective clothing or sunscreen. After his family moved to the United States, he connected these memories with what he learned about skin cancer risks and treatment disparities. The standard treatment, imiquimod cream, costs a staggering $40,000, putting it far beyond reach for most people globally. His brilliant insight? Create a vehicle that costs pennies but delivers the same active ingredient.<\/p>\n<p>The technical genius of Bekele\u2019s soap lies in its use of lipid nanoparticles that encapsulate imiquimod, an FDA-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roved compound that activates immune cells to fight cancer. When users wash with the soap, the lipid nanoparticles adhere to the skin at a molecular level, remaining behind after rinsing to deliver the cancer-fighting drug. This solves the primary challenge of topical medications, keeping the active ingredient in contact with the skin long enough to be effective while bringing the cost down to under $9 per bar.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, Bekele is collaborating with molecular biologist Vito Rebecca at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, running tests on mice injected with skin cancer cells. The research is showing promise, though there\u2019s still significant work ahead. The scientific process requires patience; patenting, clinical trials, and FDA approval could take up to a decade.<\/p>\n<p>The potential impact stretches far beyond just another cancer treatment. If successful, this <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> could revolutionize drug delivery systems broadly, making treatments more accessible worldwide, particularly in regions with limited healthcare infrastructure. The concept could potentially extend to other skin conditions or even preventative applications.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\">\n<div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\">\n<h3 class=\"sd-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SHARE\"><\/span>SHARE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"sd-content\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-facebook-579744\" hidden>Click to share on <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Facebook<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-x\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-x-579744\" hidden>Click to share on X (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>X<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-pinterest\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-pinterest-579744\" hidden>Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Pinterest<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-reddit\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-reddit-579744\" hidden>Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Reddit<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-linkedin\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-linkedin-579744\" hidden>Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>LinkedIn<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tumblr\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-tumblr-579744\" hidden>Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Tumblr<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-pocket\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-pocket-579744\" hidden>Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Pocket<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-email\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-email-579744\" hidden>Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Email<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-print\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-print-579744\" hidden>Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Print<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" class=\"sharing-anchor sd-button share-more\"><span>More<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-end\"><\/ul>\n<div class=\"sharing-hidden\">\n<div class=\"inner\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-telegram\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-telegram-579744\" hidden>Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Telegram<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-threads\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-threads-579744\" hidden>Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Threads<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-jetpack-whatsapp\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-whatsapp-579744\" hidden>Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>WhatsApp<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-mastodon\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-mastodon-579744\" hidden>Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Mastodon<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-bluesky\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-bluesky-579744\" hidden>Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Bluesky<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-nextdoor\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-nextdoor-579744\" hidden>Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Nextdoor<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-end\"><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 --><\/p>\n<div>\n                                                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"vcard author\"><br \/>\n                            <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                                <span>Sarang Sheth<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/09\/19\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-and-a-14-year-old-invented-it\/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-and-a-14-year-old-invented-it\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Innovation sometimes comes from the most unexpected sources, and nothing proves this better than the groundbreaking work of Heman Bekele. This 14-year-old wunderkind from Virginia has developed something that seasoned scientists and pharmaceutical companies haven\u2019t quite cracked: an affordable soap that could potentially treat and prevent skin cancer. What makes his invention so revolutionary isn\u2019t&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":691065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/09\/this-soap-fights-skin-cancer-meet-the-14-year-old-who-invented-it\/skin_cancer_fighting_soap_1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[91156],"class_list":["post-691064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-soap"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=691064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/691065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=691064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=691064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=691064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}