Two of the finalist projects of the "http://www.vhir.org/salapremsa/noticies/noticies_detall.asp?Idioma=en&mv1=5&mv2=3&mh1=0&mh2=0&mh3=0&mh4=0&ms=0&any=2013&num=246" Innovation Contest organized by Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) have been also selected among the finalists of the "3rd edition of the VALORTEC Contest" 3rd edition of the VALORTEC Contest, managed by "http://accio.gencat.cat/cat/" ACC1Ó. Dr. Anna Meseguer, head of the CIBBIM-Nanomedicine Kidney Physiopathology group, leads one of the selected projects whose aim is to develop a method for the diagnosis and prognosis of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC), whereas Susana Clemente and Aurora Fernández, researchers from the Pharmacology Service at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, lead a project with the goal to develop, formulate and study of the stability of a Cysteamine ointment.Dr. Meseguer’s project is based on the use of new biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of ccRCC, which is the most aggressive renal cancer and it is characterized by the lack of signals, symptoms or biochemical abnormalities. Thereby nearly the 30% of patients are diagnosed too late, when metastases have already been developed, and they use to be unintentionally diagnosed by other diagnosis tests. The current imaging diagnosis tests are very expensive and don’t provide early diagnosis, nor any prediction of the tumor’s evolution. Nonetheless, Dr. Meseguer’s finding could detect early stages of the diseases, avoiding the development of metastases and enhancing a better monitoring and treatment of this type of cancer. On the other hand, the proposal presented by Clemente and Fernández, consists in an ophthalmic reformulation for the treatment of the damage in the eye caused by cystinosis, a lysosomal storage disease which causes the progressive failure of all the organs, mainly the kidneys. The treatment available consists in eye drops which have to be administered every hour, even at night. To extend the effects of the treatment, VHIR researchers are designing an ointment whose effects could last all night, in order to avoid corneal erosion and loss of visual acuity.A total of 49 projects have been presented in this edition for the categories of patents and spin-offs. The 10 finalists of each category will receive specialized training and advisory from professionals with expertise in the fields of start-ups, managing and commercialization of technologies. First prize of each category will be awarded with 5,000 euros, and the second one, with 2,000.