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Investigations of survivin: the past, present and future

Chun Hei Antonio Cheung1, LiTing Cheng, Kwang-Yu Chang

  • 1National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan 70456, Taiwan, ROC.

Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Edition)
|January 4, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Survivin, a protein promoting cancer cell survival and drug resistance, is a key target for new anti-cancer therapies. This review examines survivin

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Survivin, an inhibitor-of-apoptosis protein (IAP), enhances cancer cell survival by inhibiting apoptosis and regulating cell cycle proteins.
  • Survivin expression is elevated in many cancers, correlating with resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
  • Emerging evidence suggests survivin's involvement in regulating cancer cell autophagy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To re-evaluate the link between survivin expression and cancer drug resistance.
  • To summarize the current progress in developing survivin inhibitors for clinical application.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on survivin expression in clinical cancer specimens.
  • Analysis of research on survivin's molecular mechanisms in cell survival and apoptosis.
  • Review of recent advancements in survivin-targeted cancer therapies.

Main Results:

  • Survivin up-regulation is a common feature in human cancers, contributing to therapeutic resistance.
  • Survivin interferes with both caspase-dependent and -independent cell death pathways.
  • Despite its oncogenic role, survivin inhibitor development lags behind other cancer therapeutics.

Conclusions:

  • Survivin is a critical factor in cancer progression and treatment failure.
  • Targeting survivin presents a promising strategy for overcoming cancer drug resistance.
  • Further development of survivin inhibitors is crucial for advancing cancer treatment.

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