SEVENTEEN-year-old Arianwen Rollan, a high school student, has received global recognition for her antitumor research work. She was cited by the Qatar Foundation at the 2016 International Science and Engineering Fair for her study on the antitumor properties of “malunggay” seeds. JUNJIE MENDOZA/CEBU DAILY NEWS
She saw how her grandmother waged a costly and painful battle against pancreatic cancer only to lose in the end.
The pain of losing a loved one fueled 17-year-old Arianwen Ledesma Rollan’s drive to search for a cure.
And she started looking in her backyard.
She started researching malunggay seeds after she heard that these had natural agents that could fight cancer.
Her antitumor research was cited in the recent 2016 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona, that was held from May 8 to 13.
She was the only Filipino among 10 recipients of the Special Award from the Qatar Foundation for Research and Development during the fair.
“I did not expect to win because I was in the infraction list. I was afraid that I would never get to display my project,” she said.
“Being on the infraction list meant that the (fair’s) scientific review committee had concerns about my project,” she added.
She did not elaborate what those concerns were.
Big deal
But being one of the special awardees is not a small feat for this incoming Grade 11 student of the Cebu City Science National High School who wants to become an obstetrician.
The 2016 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is a program of the Society for Science and the Public that invites high school students around the globe to share their original ideas, present cutting-edge research and compete for more than $4 million in awards and scholarships.
At least 1,700 youngsters from 419 affiliate fairs in 77 countries, regions and territories participated in the science showcase.
Rollan said she started the research work as an investigatory project (IP), a requirement for her Life Science subject at school.
“I saw that moringa (malunggay) was very common in Cebu. There are claims that the plant can help fight certain illnesses but there are no studies to back this up. That’s why I chose to do this project,” she said.
Grandma’s story
Rollan said she was also inspired by her grandmother, Amada Ledesma, 75, who died of pancreatic cancer five years ago.
She said her grandmother suffered for 10 months, the ordeal being made more difficult by the high costs of medicines and treatment.
Rollan said her grandmother’s story pushed her to look for inexpensive treatment for cancer patients who could not afford the costs of medicines.
She decided to look into the anticancer properties of the malunggay seed.
She drew an extract from crushed malunggay seeds and injected it into a chick embryo, using the embryo as a tumor model. Then she observed it for 36 hours.
Comparing the embryo’s behavior with that of a tumor, Rollan said she noticed that the embryo did not grow as the malunggay seed extract prevented blood vessels from forming.
It was a eureka moment for her. She said tumors often developed due to the formation of new blood vessels.
While her research work is still inconclusive, it showed the potential of malunggay seeds as antitumor agents.
Rollan’s project won first prize in her school fair, besting 50 other investigatory projects in the school.
After she won at science fairs in both division and regional levels, she competed in the National Science and Technology Fair sponsored by the Department of Education (DepEd) in Tagaytay City.
Clinging to dreams
Her victory at the national level gave her the golden ticket to be part of the Philippine delegation that competed in the 2016 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix.
She ended up being the only Filipino to receive a special award, which came with a certificate and a cash prize of $1,000.
Rollan said she planned to use her prize money to continue her research because it was still in the preliminary stage.
But she said she hoped her achievement would inspire other young people, inventors particularly, not to give up on their dreams.
“We were the only ones who were not sponsored by their own government but still we were selected,” she said.
“I just hope the Philippine government will support this research so that it can help those who are in need of medicines to help fight tumor,” she said.