Naina Chopra from Dougherty Valley has won first place at the Contra Costa Science & Engineering Fair and will now be advancing to the California Science & Engineering Fair to present her research on new bladder cancer treatments.
Chopra was inspired to conduct this research after learning that a family friend with bladder cancer was using Vitamin C as an alternative treatment method. After reaching out to several labs for sponsorship, she finally found one willing to support her research. For two months, Chopra exposed bladder cancer cell cultures to varying doses of Vitamin C and discovered that it inhibited cancer cell proliferation.
Her project, titled “Investigation of the Role of Ascorbic Acid in Reducing Bladder Cancer Presence,” was well-received at the Contra Costa Science & Engineering Fair where she won first place. Chopra is looking forward to presenting the same research at the state fair and hopes that her findings can contribute to the advancement of cancer treatment. She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to share her research and potentially offer hope to those battling cancer in an email to Patch. Additionally, she mentioned her hope to eventually get the treatment cleared for human trials and assess the viability of ascorbic acid as a major solution for preventing further cancer growth in patients with bladder cancer.