Using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis, we found that endogenous survivin and TERT mRNAs were expressed at high levels in undifferentiated hESCs and iPSCs relative to differentiated cells, as well as in PC3 cancer cells relative to normal human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs); however, a low level of survivin mRNA expression was detected in normal HDFs and differentiated hiPSCs (Figure 1a–c). Here, BIRC5 is linked to cancer.