Although Kyle Jones of The Villages Charter High School may look like your average teenager, this soft-spoken 17-year-old might have found a cure for colon cancer.
For his science project last fall, Jones tested the effects of conjugated linoleic acid, known as CLA, an amino acid found mostly in meat and dairy products, on human colon cancer at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Orlando.
His results showed that up to 90 percent of the colon cancer cells were killed within three days, indicating that the chemical properties of CLA could possibly be used as an effective treatment for colon cancer.
"It surprised me mainly how devastating it was to the cancer cells," he said.
Jones has not continued his research since the initial project was completed, but researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are conducting more extensive studies on CLA as well as other potential cancer therapeutics. Jones said it would take several years before any sufficient results are obtained.
At the school science fair in January and regional science fair in February, he won first place overall. At the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in May, he won second place from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Society for innovative projects that could be translated into products that could benefit society.
Jones said he is interested in all academic subjects but particularly science because of the potential for discovery. Jones' interest in science has carried over since his childhood.
"Oh, goodness," he said, laughing, "As a kid, I used to go outside and explore nature, but I don't do that anymore. It's too hot."
After his success in May, Jones spent his summer at the UF Student Science Training Program, which allows high school students to work personally with UF faculty on original research projects.
For seven weeks, Jones worked with faculty professor Lung-Ji Chang and conducted research at UF to discover a way to produce stem cells without the controversial use of embryos.
Jones's top college choices include Columbia, Harvard and Johns Hopkins. He wants to major in biochemistry and minor in something other than science, like history or Spanish. He said he would like to be a medical researcher as well as a doctor or an adjunct professor.
Jones wants to venture to New York, Massachusetts, California or Maryland for the best research opportunities.
"I have always been very interested in research, and when I find a problem, I try to find a way to solve it," he said. "I am 100 percent dedicated to finding a cure for cancer in the near future."
