Indeed, previous studies have shown that the targeted inhibition of livin by antisense oligonucleotides or RNA interference reduces the growth of Livin-expressing tumour cells in clonogenic survival assays and can resensitise them towards proapoptotic agents, including chemotherapeutics (Kasof and Gomes, 2001; Crnković-Mertens et al, 2003, 2006a, 2006b, 2007). The gene discussed is BIRC7; the disease is neoplasm.