“Persisters”: Survival at the Cellular Level
2011
Understanding Microbial and Cancer Cell Persistence
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Dawson Clinton C., Intapa Chaidan, Jabra-Rizk Mary Ann
Primary Institution: University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
Hypothesis
What mechanisms allow microbial and cancer cells to survive despite treatment?
Conclusion
Both microbial and cancer cells can enter a dormant state that helps them survive treatments, making it difficult to eradicate them.
Supporting Evidence
- Persister cells are a small subpopulation that can survive antibiotic treatment.
- These cells can resume growth once the antibiotic is removed.
- Persisters are found in both bacteria and cancer cells, indicating a common survival strategy.
Takeaway
Some tiny cells can hide from medicine and come back later, which makes it hard to get rid of infections or cancer.
Limitations
The transient nature and low abundance of persister cells make them hard to study.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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