title: Survivin: a unique target for tumor therapy.
abstract: Survivin is the smallest member of the Inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family of proteins, involved in inhibition of apoptosis and regulation of cell cycle. These functional attributes make Survivin a unique protein exhibiting divergent functions i.e. regulating cell proliferation and cell death. Expression pattern of Survivin is also distinctive; it is prominently expressed during embryonal development, absent in most normal, terminally differentiated tissues but upregulated in a variety of human cancers. Expression of Survivin in tumours correlates with not only inhibition of apoptosis and a decreased rate of cell death, but also resistance to chemotherapy and aggressiveness of tumours. Therefore, Survivin is an important target for cancer vaccines and therapeutics. Survivin has also been found to be prominently expressed on both human and embryonic stem cells and many somatic stem cell types indicating its yet unexplored role in stem cell generation and maintenance. Overall, Survivin emerges as a molecule with much wider role in cellular homeostasis. This review will discuss various aspects of Survivin biology and its role in regulation of apoptosis, cell division, chemo-resistance and tumour progression. Various molecular and immunotherapeutic approaches targeting Survivin will also be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Amity Institute of Virology and Immunology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, J-3 Block, Room No: LG21, Sector 125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201303 India.
authors.forename: Himani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.affiliation: Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector 125, Noida, India.
authors.forename: Prerna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suri
authors.affiliation: Talwar Research Foundation, E-8 Neb Valley, Neb Sarai, New Delhi, 110 068 India.
authors.forename: Jagdish C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Talwar Research Foundation, E-8 Neb Valley, Neb Sarai, New Delhi, 110 068 India.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Talwar
authors.affiliation: Amity Institute of Virology and Immunology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, J-3 Block, Room No: LG21, Sector 125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201303 India.
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dubey
keywords: Apoptosis; IAPs; Immunotherapy; Survivin