title: Targeting survivin in cancer therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Survivin is a structurally unique member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family that acts as a suppressor of apoptosis and plays a central role in cell division. Owing to its massive upregulation in human tumors and its involvement in cancer progression and treatment resistance, survivin is currently undergoing extensive investigation as a novel therapeutic target.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this review is to define the potential of survivin as a therapeutic target for new anticancer interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  The literature dealing with the therapeutic targeting of survivin has been carefully reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several preclinical studies have demonstrated that downregulation of survivin expression or function, accomplished by means of various strategies, reduced tumor growth potential, increased the apoptotic rate and sensitized tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation in different human tumor models. Moreover, the first survivin inhibitors are being currently evaluated in clinical settings.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Dipartimento di Oncologia Sperimentale, Via Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennati
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Folini
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zaffaroni
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000077022:Survivin
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000077022:Survivin