**8. Concluding remarks**

Survivin is a prosurvival factor that can promote S-phase entry; is essential for mitosis; whose presence renders cells resistant to apoptosis; and that is expressed at high levels almost universally in tumours. As a disease of inappropriate cell growth, cancer may arise through deregulated proliferation or failure to die in response to death inducing stimuli, and the success of therapeutic interventions is likely to be a case of tipping the balance between prosurvival and proapoptotic factors. For all these reasons the case for survivin as a novel anti-cancer target is compelling. The ability to dissect the pleiotropic functions of the protein apart by changes in its subcellular distribution may provide opportunities for therapeutic intervention and tailored targeting strategies.
