J Breast Dis.  2026 Jun;14(1):18-29. 10.14449/jbd.2026.14.1.18.

Survivin-Activated Cells Exhibit Enhanced Anti-Tumor Effects on Breast Cancer Cells

• Choi HJ
• Kim S
• Shin HJ
• Moon HJ
• Lee YK
• Lim S
• Gho YJ
• Kim MJ
• Jeong HJ
• Lee WJ

• KMID: 2582501
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14449/jbd.2026.14.1.18

Abstract

Purpose
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide. Despite the significant advances in oncology, the development of effective and safe therapies for breast cancer remains challenging. Recent approaches have focused on minimizing the adverse effects on normal cells by targeting cancer cells. This study investigated the potential of survivin, a protein frequently overexpressed in breast cancer cells, as a target for T cell-based immunotherapy.
Methods
We aimed to enhance cytotoxic efficacy against survivin-overexpressing cancer cells by utilizing antigen-activated cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells generated using overlapping peptide technology. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 20 patients with breast cancer, and seven patients positive for the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A 02:01 allele type were selected for further study. Survivin peptides were introduced into PBMCs, which were then expanded into CIK and survivin-activated CIK (S-CIK) cells. The cytotoxic effects of these cells on HLA-A 02:01-matched breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) were evaluated using in vitro assays, including a 3D spheroid model.
Results
The results showed a significant expansion of S-CIK cells, with fold increases ranging from 34.0 to 84.2. Furthermore, S-CIK cells exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity against survivin-overexpressing breast cancer cells compared with non-activated CIK cells. In co-culture assays, S-CIK cells showed elevated levels of interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-2 secretion, indicating robust antigen-specific activation. Additionally, S-CIK cells induced significant apoptosis in target cancer cells, as evidenced by reduced cell viability.
Conclusion
These findings support the feasibility of generating S-CIK cells and suggest their potential to enhance early in vitro antitumor responses against survivin-overexpressing breast cancer cells. However, these results should be regarded as preliminary proof-of-concept findings, with pending validation in larger patient cohorts and in vivo models.

Keyword

Breast neoplasms; Cytokine-induced killer cells; Immunotherapy; Peptides; Survivin