Drug-tolerant persister cells in cancer: the cutting edges and future directions

Yi Pu (1, 2) , Lu Li (1, 2) , Haoning Peng (1, 2) , Lunxu Liu (1, 2) , Dominique Heymann (3, 4) , Caroline Robert (5, 6) , François Vallette (4, 7) , Shensi Shen (2, 1)

1 SCU - Sichuan University [Chengdu]
2 WCH - West China Hospital
3 US2B - Unité en Sciences Biologiques et Biotechnologies de Nantes
4 UNICANCER/ICO - Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest [Angers/Nantes]
5 U981 - Biomarqueurs prédictifs et nouvelles stratégies moléculaires en thérapeutique anticancéreuse
6 IGR - Institut Gustave Roussy
7 CRCI2NA - Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes-Angers

Drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cell populations were originally discovered in antibiotic-resistant bacterial biofilms. Similar populations with comparable features have since been identified among cancer cells and have been linked with treatment resistance that lacks an underlying genomic alteration. Research over the past decade has improved our understanding of the biological roles of DTP cells in cancer, although clinical knowledge of the role of these cells in treatment resistance remains limited. Nonetheless, targeting this population is anticipated to provide new treatment opportunities. In this Perspective, we aim to provide a clear definition of the DTP phenotype, discuss the underlying characteristics of these cells, their biomarkers and vulnerabilities, and encourage further research on DTP cells that might improve our understanding and enable the development of more effective anticancer therapies.

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Yi Pu, Lu Li, Haoning Peng, Lunxu Liu, Dominique Heymann, et al.. Drug-tolerant persister cells in cancer: the cutting edges and future directions. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 2023, 20 (11), pp.799-813. ⟨10.1038/s41571-023-00815-5⟩. ⟨inserm-04501799⟩