Treatment strategies targeting persister cell formation in bacterial pathogens

Persister cells are transiently antibiotic-tolerant and dormant subpopulations that are produced to escape the effects of antibiotics within biofilms or planktonic cell populations. Persister cells are of high clinical importance due to their tolerance to antimicrobial agents and subsequent failure in antibiotic treatments. Understanding persister cell formation mechanisms is therefore highly important for developing effective therapeutic strategies against pathogenic bacterial persisters. Several anti-persister compounds have been previously identified via isolation from natural resources or chemical synthesis. Furthermore, a combination of these compounds with antibiotics or non-antibiotic drugs also allows action on multiple targets while reducing the administration frequency. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the clinical importance and formation mechanisms of persister cells as well as the current treatment strategies against persister cell formations in chronic infections.