On its sixth consecutive edition, the Barcelona Board of AECC-Catalonia against cancer, has celebrated the solidarity gala and granted the annual scholarships for Oncology Research, awarding the most innovative research projects.Three researchers of Vall d'Hebron awarded with three scholarships for their research projects. They are the doctors Anna Santamaria Margalef and Roberta Antonelli of Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) and the doctor Maria Abad Méndez from Vall d'Hebron Oncology Institute (VHIO). These fundings grant 35.000 euros for each researcher.For 6 years, the Barcelona Provincial Board of AECC celebrates the Solidarity Night, counting on the complicity and support of several world representatives of science, culture, business and civil society. This year it took place at Reials Drassanes.The two VHIR projects that received the scholarship are:"New therapeutic focus for prostate hormone-refracting cancer, based on kinesin KIF11", by the Dr. Anna Santamaria Margalef, principal investigator of the http://en.vhir.org/portal1/grup-equip.asp?s=recerca&contentid=186717 Biomedical Research in Gynecology Group of VHIR. In this project, the goal is to study the prognostic value of KIF11 expression, in prostate tumors with amplified or overexpressed MYC. Besides, the therapeutic value of KIF11 will be valued in preclinical models and models out of patients that recapitulate with high fidelity the disease (main goal of this proposal).Hormonal deprivation is the first line of treatment against prostate cancer that reaches advanced stages, but, as time goes by, the tumors develop resistance and spread provoking an increasing of the morbidity and mortality associated to the disease. At this stage, the hormonal therapies of second line only achieve a reaction tax of 20-30%. Kinesins, crucial proteins for the cellular division, have arisen as the new target for chemotherapeutical intervention. The results of the research suggest that KIF11 could be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of hormorefracting prostate tumors, especially the ones that increase or overexpress MYC oncogene."Blocking tumor-brain communication to treat ependymoma (SPINE)", led by Dr. Roberta Antonelli, principal investigator at the http://en.vhir.org/portal1/grup-equip.asp?s=recerca&contentid=186749 Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer Group of VHIR.Pediatric tumors at the central nervous system are the most common cancers among children, and their main death cause linked to cancer. Ependymoma (EPN) is the third pediatric brain tumor most common and untreatable in up to 40% of the cases. The treatments with surgery and radiation are limited due to the location of the tumor and the high risk on damaging the vital brain structures, and no clear benefits proven by applying chemotherapy, which reflects the need to develop new therapies.Recent discovers have demonstrated that the tissue that hosts the tumor, being the brain in EPN, has a very important role on the tumor's development. By this means, understanding the interaction and communication between the brain cells and the tumor cells, will allow new paths to treat this tumors by blocking the interaction brain - tumor."Micro-peptides as a source of new therapeutic targets and biomarkers for treating cancer", led by Dr. Maria Abad Méndez, principal investigator at the http://www.vhio.net/en/cellular-plasticity-and-cancer-group/ Cellular Plasticity and Cancer Research Group of VHIO. This research line focuses on pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal tumors that do not present an efficient treatment. The project studies four new micro-peptides identified at the lab. First pool of results point out the key role of these micro-peptides on the plasticity of the tumor cells. The goal is to detail them and discover their role on pancreatic cancer, in order to increase the knowledge of the disease, and understand why the current therapies ar4e failing when implemented to the patients. Furthermore, the micro-peptides can constitute new tools for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as be the base for new treatments against pancreatic cancer.