Approximately 1.5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, according to the World Health Organization. It’s particularly prevalent in Australia and the USA, but rates have been increasing worldwide for the past decade. Furthermore, the cost of treatment for this cancer can be prohibitive, leading to deaths that could otherwise be prevented — particularly in developing countries. Fortunately, a teenager by the name of Heman Bekele has invented a skin cancer-treating soap that’s available for about $0.50 USD per bar.
Who is Heman Bekele?
While most teenagers spend their time scrolling on their phones or playing video games, Heman Bekele has spent years developing something truly remarkable. With the help of his parents and mentors, he created a soap that can both prevent and treat common skin cancers.
Bekele was born in Ethiopia, and his family moved to Virginia, USA, when he was four years old. From earliest childhood, he saw people suffering from the effects of spending long hours working in the hot sun. Melanoma and carcinomas (both squamous cell and basal cell) are believed to be caused by over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, particularly from the sun.
Upon discovering how costly cancer treatment can be, Bekele set about to develop an affordable, effective alternative. His soap, which effectively treats skin cancer for less than a dollar per bar, earned him worldwide recognition. He won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge in 2024, and also won the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. Bekele was even named Time magazine’s “Kid of the Year 2024” for his melanoma-treating soap invention.
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MTS: Melanoma-Treating Soap
Melanoma-Treading Soap (MTS) is a compound-based soap bar charged with immunotherapeutic drugs that fight skin cancer. Right now, the most common treatment for melanoma and topical carcinoma is a topical medication called Imiquimod. Its name is derived from Imidazoquinoline: a cancer-fighting synthetic chemical compound.
The soap that Bekele has invented has nanoparticles “loaded” with Imidazoquinoline to help treat these cancers. The nanolipid-based particle transporters ensure that the drug sticks to the skin at a “very molecular level”, according to the video that accompanied the TIME article. This kind of adherence ensures that the drug keeps working even after the soap has been rinsed off.
Bekele is currently working with a devoted team of scientists and researchers to bring this bar of soap to the market by 2028. It’s estimated that each pack of soap will cost around $8.50. This makes it an ideal, cost-effective alternative to traditional skin cancer treatment. The average cost of treating skin cancers worldwide is approximately $40,000 USD. In our current economy, this puts treatment out of most people’s budgets.
This humble bar of soap may help thousands avoid crippling medical debt as they heal from this insidious cancer.
For more information, visit Heman Bekele’s website here.
Featured (cropped) image by Malene Thyssen, via Wikimedia Commons license 2.5