Marine Bivalves for Modeling BCL-2 in Blood Cancer
Iris Shen, 17, of The Woodlands, studied whether a marine clam with a naturally occurring blood cancer can be used to study human leukemia drugs for her Regeneron Science Talent Search animal sciences project.
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Animal models of cancer are costly, time-intensive and have ethical implications. In her project, Iris tested how clams respond to a potential cancer drug. She found that in clams, the drug had the same effect it does in human cells: fewer cancer cells stayed alive, tumors had a smaller proportion of cancer cells and the cells’ fat levels changed in similar ways.
In a second experiment, Iris tested a mixture of two other compounds in clams. She found that it slowed tumor growth without negative effects on non-tumor cells. Iris’s clam model could help make early drug discovery more cost-effective and ethical.
The child of Yu Dong and Dong Shen, Iris attends The Woodlands College Park High School.
Beyond the Project
Iris is president of Teach 2 Learn, a nonprofit that hosts biweekly STEM events at local middle schools, ranging from science fair prep to computer science workshops.
FUN FACTS: Iris is a pianist and an artist. Her art has been auctioned to raise funds for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Educational Fund.
