New tools for exploring parasite biology and elucidating host-pathogen interactions in cryptosporidiosis

Abstract

SUMMARYCryptosporidiosis is a major public health concern, the extent of which has only truly been appreciated within the last decade. Cryptosporidium research has undergone a renaissance, with new insights into population structure, species diversity, and evolution of the parasite driven by the advent of genetic transformation techniques and novel models for culture in vitro and in vivo. Here, we summarize the impact of these advances on our understanding of this important parasite. In the initial section, we focus on what we have learned about host range and infectivity from comparative genomics, briefly review the public health impact of human infection, and summarize recent findings on immune control and interactions with other gut microbes that influence infection. The second half of the review is devoted to new technical advances that have uncovered novel biological findings. As research on Cryptosporidium is still in its infancy, we finish by summarizing some of the challenges and opportunities for future research.

Keywords: apicomplexan parasite; comparative genomics; enteric pathogens; host range; immune response; metabolites; microbiota; secreted effectors.