Molecular mechanisms and clinical implications of bacterial persistence

Any bacterial population harbors a small number of phenotypic variants that survive exposure to high concentrations of antibiotic. Importantly, these so-called ‘persister cells’ compromise successful antibiotic therapy of bacterial infections and are thought to contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. Intriguingly, drug-tolerant persisters have also been identified as a factor underlying failure of chemotherapy in tumor cell populations. Recent studies have begun to unravel the complex molecular mechanisms underlying persister formation and revolve around stress responses and toxin-antitoxin modules.

Source: Drug Resistance Updates - October 13, 2016 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Joran Elie Michiels, Bram Van den Bergh, Natalie Verstraeten, Jan Michiels Source Type: research