Microbial persisters and host: recent advances and future perspectives

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Drug Tolerance

Background:

• Microbial persisters are a small sub-population of microorganisms exhibiting high tolerance to antimicrobials.
• Distinguishing persister cells from other drug-tolerant microorganisms remains a significant challenge.
• Persisters contribute to prolonged antibiotic exposure, treatment failure, and the development of antibiotic-resistant mutants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of understanding microbial persisters for infection control.
• To review advances in persister research, technologies, and anti-persister strategies.
• To identify critical unsolved issues, including host-persister interactions and clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on microbial persisters.
• Analysis of advancements in persister investigation technologies and methodologies.
• Exploration of existing and potential anti-persister approaches.

Main Results:

• Significant progress has been made in understanding persister biology and developing anti-persister strategies over the past two decades.
• Critical knowledge gaps persist regarding host-persister interactions and the translation of findings to clinical practice.
• Numerous anti-persister approaches have been developed, but their efficacy requires further investigation.

Conclusions:

• Further research into microbial persisters is crucial for preventing and controlling chronic infections and inflammation.
• Understanding the complex cross-talk between microbial persisters and host cells is essential for developing novel precision healthcare strategies.
• Translational studies and clinical applications of persister knowledge are vital for future therapeutic development.