BIRC5 and cancer: Novel therapeutic compounds, such as Shepheridin, LY2181308 [an antisense oligonucleotide], EM-1421, and YM155, exhibit anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy in the clinical management of cancer patients by directly targeting the cancer cell protein “survivin” and/or inducing caspase expression and activity, ultimately resulting in apoptosis mediated via both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways [32].