Are bacterial persister cells really the cause of infection relapse/recalcitrance?

Introduction: Looking into the literature, many articles accuse bacterial persister cells as important causes of infection relapse/recalcitrance. This opinion paper, highlights the knowledge gaps and scientific misconceptions in experimental procedures regarding the role of persisters in relapse/recalcitrance of infections and recommends a roadmap for investigations in this field. Conclusion:  It is debated in this paper, that unless the queries and missing points are addressed clearly, persisters cannot be stigmatized as the culprit of infection relapse/recalcitrance.