Survivin is an anti-apoptotic protein which is the smallest protein within a large family of proteins including X-linked IAP, c-IAP1 and 2, IAP-like protein-2, melanoma IAP, NAIP, and Livin. Survivin is responsible for a wide range of basic cellular functions that include the cell cycle regulation, fetal development, cell migration, and tumor progression. Xu et al from the MD Anderson Cancer Center used the survivin antibody to untangle apoptotic pathway components in promyelocytic leukemia by generating a comprehensive DNA microarray profile of target genes (1). Their detailed experiments allowed them to identify a novel PML4-dependent mechanism that ultimately downregulates survivin.
Western Blot: Survivin Antibody (60.11) [NB500-205] - Survivin detected in rat aorta smooth muscle cell lysate.
Use of the Survivin antibody in flow cytometry assays also allowed Koyama to monitor the aberrant expression and functional status of metastatic marker molecules such as caspases 3, 8, and 10, survivin, and cFLIP in gastric carcinoma samples (2). Additionally, the survivin antibody was used for immunohistochemical studies in Femia's lab (3). This research group focused on characterizing survivin expression along with other early alterations in precancerous lesions in rat colon that were exposed to additional cytotoxic insults and apoptosis. The role of survivin in another cancer subtype – breast cancer – was also investigated by Ryan et al using the survivin antibody (4). These oncologists compared a variety of splice isoforms (2B, 3B, and DeltaEx3) across cohorts of normal tissue, adenomas, and primary carcinomas, and found that different forms play different apoptosis-dictating roles. Further oncology experiments were carried out by researchers at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, where the survivin antibody was used to monitor the multistep processes of chemical-induced tumor formation and papilloma regression in a cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) mice model system (5). There, Allen's group found a paradoxical negative effect of survivin expression on tumor formation coupled with a positive-progression effect. Further investigation is needed to sort out these varied downstream effects.
Novus Biologicals offers survivin reagents for your research needs including:
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