Survivin: An inhibitor of apoptosis in pediatric cancer

Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) expressed in a large number of adult malignancies. Its expression levels correlate with more aggressive disease and poor clinical outcome in many of these tumors. As its expression is restricted in normal adult differentiated tissues, it has become of great interest as both a tumor prognostic marker and as a potential biologic target for future anti-cancer therapies. Survivin expression and Survivin-based therapies have been examined in many of the more common pediatric malignancies. We present an overview of Survivin function and current research exploring its biologic and therapeutic roles in pediatric tumors.