Calif. HS student devises possible cancer cure

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http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_1...vises-possible-cancer-cure/?tag=re1.discussed

(CBS News) If you ever worry about the future of America, there is no need: it is in good hands. A high school student named Angela is proof of that. We think you'll agree she is nothing short of amazing. CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman met her on the road.


Born to Chinese immigrants, 17-year-old Angela Zhang of Cupertino, California is a typical American teenager. She's really into shoes and is just learning how to drive.


But there is one thing that separates her from every other student at Monta Vista High School, something she first shared with her chemistry teacher, Kavita Gupta.


It's a research paper Angela wrote in her spare time -- and it is advanced, to say the least. Gupta says all she knows is its recipe -- for curing cancer.


"Cure for cancer -- a high school student," said Gupta. "It's just so mind-boggling. I just cannot even begin to comprehend how she even thought about it or did this."
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It'll take years to know if it works in humans -- but in mice -- the tumors almost completely disappeared.


Angela recently entered her project in the national Siemens science contest. It was no contest. She got a check for $100,000 and promptly bought about a dozen more pairs of shoes.



More with video at link....
 
What an outstanding young woman! I so hope she continues her research and is successful in her quest for that cure to work on humans as well as it does with the mice. We need more young people like her!!

Good job, Angela Zhang!
 
There are literally thousands of published papers on cancer and nanoparticles, so what exactly is the invention? They are acting as if she did this in her garage, whereas she worked with a mentor from Stanford who gets government funds to do this sort of work. This type of research costs a lot of money (you have to have imaging equipment, lasers, animals). This type of work involves team work, a student doesn't just do it all on their own.
 
The article says the idea was hers and she did her own research....sure she had the use of facilities at the school but I understood she did the work, probably under supervision as you say. I think she sets a great example for others what a young person can do.
 
The article says the idea was hers and she did her own research....sure she had the use of facilities at the school but I understood she did the work, probably under supervision as you say. I think she sets a great example for others what a young person can do.

The reporter has no understanding about research (which he easily admits with the goofy look on his face). As far as I can tell, that paper they say she wrote has not been published yet, as searching for it doesn't show up anything. If and when it's published, the extent of her contribution will become clearer (depending how many authors are on it, and what her order is among those authors). I looked up the mentor's lab, he has a lot of present and past members.
 
Apparently the national Siemens science contest accepted the research project as belonging to Angela since she won their contest along with $100K.
 
Apparently the national Siemens science contest accepted the research project as belonging to Angela since she won their contest along with $100K.

The $100K is a scholarship for her to go to Stanford.
 
http://inr.synapticdigital.com/Siemens/Competition2011/

with video

The Winning Individual
Angela Zhang won a $100,000 college scholarship for her project, Design of Image-guided, Photo-thermal Controlled Drug Releasing Multifunctional Nanosystem for the Treatment of Cancer Stem Cells.

"Angela created a nanoparticle that is like a Swiss army knife of cancer treatment," said competition judge Dr. Tejal Desai, Professor, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco. "She showed great creativity and initiative in designing a nanoparticle system that can be triggered to release drugs at the site of the tumor while also allowing for non-invasive imaging. Her work is an important step in developing new approaches to the therapeutic targeting of tumors via nanotechnology."

In her project, Angela aimed to design a targeted gold and iron oxide-based nanoparticle with the potential to eradicate cancer stem cells through a controlled delivery of the drug salinomycin to the site of the tumor. The multifunctional nanoparticle combines therapy and imaging into a single platform, with the gold and iron-oxide components allowing for both MRI and Photoacoustic imaging.

"Angela's commitment to the research was truly impressive," said Dr. Desai. "She has a deep understanding of the multitude of disciplines that went into her project, from designing the nanoparticles to showing their efficacy in vivo."

Angela won the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) Grand Award for medicine and health science in 2011 and 2010. She plays golf and the piano and would like to major in chemical or biomedical engineering or physics. She is a 2010 Siemens Competition Regional Finalist who began her work on this project in 2009 and spent an estimated 1,000 hours on her research. Angela hopes to become a research professor. Her mentor was Dr. Zhen Cheng of Stanford University.
 
I think there is a lot of hype in these press releases, do to the fact that reporters have no understanding of what research is (and the one in the OP didn't try to hide it). What they showed in the video looked like a manuscript being prepared for publication. They didn't show the first page where the authors are going to be. If and when it's published, we can look at how many people contributed to this work and what her contribution was.
 
I guess I just don't understand the need to try to downgrade what this girl has accomplished...so be it...
 
The reporter might know nothing about scientific research, but the judges who awarded the prize certainly do, and they know the criteria required to qualify as a winner. Apparently, the young lady met the challenge, and for that she should be applauded. If the reporter went a little overboard, so be it. It doesn't detract from the student's accomplishment.
 
I think there is a lot of hype in these press releases, do to the fact that reporters have no understanding of what research is (and the one in the OP didn't try to hide it). What they showed in the video looked like a manuscript being prepared for publication. They didn't show the first page where the authors are going to be. If and when it's published, we can look at how many people contributed to this work and what her contribution was.

I know the sciences are very competitive-- and for that reason, I don't think for a minute that anyone else could possibly take credit for this work, or they would have. MOO

I think this young lady is going to need more than a mentor in the future, she's going to need her very own shark to circle her work on her behalf, though it's obvious to me she already has one. I wonder if her parents are also in the sciences? again mo
 
Way to go Angela!!!

It's wonderful to see great teenaged minds at work for the good of our world. Not just music, makeup, movies, and boys.

I hope she inspires many teens!!!
 
I know the sciences are very competitive-- and for that reason, I don't think for a minute that anyone else could possibly take credit for this work, or they would have. MOO

I think this young lady is going to need more than a mentor in the future, she's going to need her very own shark to circle her work on her behalf, though it's obvious to me she already has one. I wonder if her parents are also in the sciences? again mo

The idea to use nanoparticles to threat cancer has been around for years. Simple googling will show that.
 
The idea to use nanoparticles to threat cancer has been around for years. Simple googling will show that.

Sure, but how many high school students are aware of that and are able to come up with a way to modify and upgrade those treatments? I was happy when my high schoolers made it to school before the warning bell and had all of their right books for that day.
 
Sure, but how many high school students are aware of that and are able to come up with a way to modify and upgrade those treatments? I was happy when my high schoolers made it to school before the warning bell and had all of their right books for that day.

That I agree with. It appears to be some modification of existing techniques. But the way press presents it all hyped up.
 
What a great story! And GOOD FOR HER!

I'm going to make a point of following this girl and her research. I'm afraid I'm cynical enough to believe the cure for cancer is being purposely squashed because cancer treatment is such big business.
 
Wow...I hope google doesn't lead her here...

Congrats to the High School student who managed to see a new way of looking at the technology.

Sent from my LG Esteem, using Tapatalk.
 
That I agree with. It appears to be some modification of existing techniques. But the way press presents it all hyped up.

Oh, I think we're only seeing the tip of the "hype"-- I think the race we've all been waiting for, is on! Because, I swear, I just read something released from Penn State (a week or two ago) that was promising their biomedical department had something that would "dissolve cancer in a week." I'll go look for the link...

Here's one from November: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/11/28/penn-state-research-may-show-promising-cancer-cure/

And here's another from just before Christmas-- with an additional/different method attributed to Penn State's Med Center. (Of course they are doing a lot of image repairs these days) http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/12/penn_state_university_research.html
 
Oh, I think we're only seeing the tip of the "hype"-- I think the race we've all been waiting for, is on! Because, I swear, I just read something released from Penn State (a week or two ago) that was promising their biomedical department had something that would "dissolve cancer in a week." I'll go look for the link...

Here's one from November: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/11/28/penn-state-research-may-show-promising-cancer-cure/

And here's another from just before Christmas-- with an additional/different method attributed to Penn State's Med Center. (Of course they are doing a lot of image repairs these days) http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/12/penn_state_university_research.html

Their research doesn't have anything to do with their sports program. But this is an example of how the press releases of a cancer discovery (or whatever else) are normally done. Research team led by so and so discovered this and this. A lot of people normally work on these type of projects, not just one person. It's team work.
 

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