Skin cancer, including melanoma, is one of the most common cancers in the US. Though melanoma only accounts for about one percent of all skin cancers, it's also the deadliest. According to the American Cancer Society, over 100,000 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in 2024 alone. Of those cases, over 8,000 are likely to result in death.
All of this might sound scary, but what if you could avoid it by making one simple change? Avoiding sun exposure or using sunscreen are currently the best ways to prevent melanoma, but what if there was another weapon in our arsenal against skin cancer? Heman Bekele, the grand prize winner of this year's 3M Young Scientist's Challenge, may have created that exact thing.
This Melanoma Treating Soap (or MTS) is a soap formulated with special compounds that combat melanoma. The soap contains Imidazoquinoline, which is an antifungal, antiviral, and antiallergenic compound that has gotten some attention for its anticancer properties. It's an immune response modifier that has demonstrated antitumor activity. The soap uses lipid nanoparticles to deliver its cancer-fighting compounds into the skin, where they trigger the body's immune system to attack the cancer itself.
The soap is also formulated to be a bit stickier than conventional soaps and leave a residue on the skin. This keeps the anticancer compounds from being rinsed away completely and provides a melanoma-fighting benefit that should, theoretically, last after washing.
The unique and innovative MTS was invented by Heman Bekele, an extraordinary 14-year-old prodigy from Fairfax, Virginia. Bekele spent his early years in Ethiopia, where he saw people affected by the hot sun. As he learned about the sun's effect on skin—as well as the prohibitively high cost of melanoma treatment around the world—he was inspired to create an affordable, effective treatment for the disease. Bekele's soap is designed to be inexpensive and wrapped in biodegradable packaging, in order to make it accessible to people who may not have access to conventional melanoma treatments or recycling facilities.
He began the development process in his family's kitchen and basement. Since he was working with a pretty standard saponification process, he was able to work with tools that were already available to him. He initially used digital molecular testing, which allowed him to model how different ingredients interact. As he got further along in the process, he realized that he needed to scale things up a bit—enter his 3M mentor Deborah Isabelle, the University of Virginia, and Georgetown. He completed his research and development and produced his incredible, cancer-fighting soap. Should he obtain FDA approval for MTS, it'll be able to undergo further testing for safety and effectiveness.
Bekele's soap, and the inspiration behind it, also highlight the need to address diagnostic discrepancies between people of different ethnicities and skin tones. He was inspired by his childhood in Ethiopia, but it's a commonly held belief that people with dark skin tones don't get skin cancer. While it's true that melanin provides some protection from the sun, melanoma isn't always caused by sun exposure and even people with very dark complexions can develop skin cancer. People with dark skin tones also tend to be diagnosed much later in the disease's progression. Only about one in a thousand Black people will develop melanoma, for example, but their prognosis is often poorer.
So far, the soap has undergone formulation using digital molecular testing. There, it demonstrated very high efficacy in delivering the active ingredients. Currently, Bekele has a five-year plan to obtain FDA certification, begin human trials, and ensure that MTS is safe and effective at fighting melanoma. If all goes according to plan, he plans to create a nonprofit based around creating and distributing this soap to as many melanoma sufferers as possible.
Skin cancer is a very common affliction and can also be deadly. While there are plenty of treatment options available, they're often not accessible or affordable. At only 14 years of age, Heman Bekele is passionate about making his cancer-fighting soap a reality and putting it in the hands of everyone who needs it.
