BIRC5 and neoplasm: Among these anti-apoptotic factors, survivin, a 16.5 KD protein of 142 amino acid residues that is the smallest member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, deserves much attention due to its universal over-expression in human tumors, and its prominent role in the regulation of a variety of cellular networks, including those that control tumor cell proliferation and adaption to an unfavorable environment [3].