Recent Breakthroughs and Ongoing Limitations in Cryptosporidium Research [version 1; referees: 3 approved]

Abstract

The intestinal apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium is a major cause of diarrheal disease in humans worldwide. However, treatment options are severely limited. The search for novel interventions is imperative, yet there are several challenges to drug development, including intractability of the parasite and limited technical tools to study it. This review addresses recent, exciting breakthroughs in this field, including novel cell culture models, strategies for genetic manipulation, transcriptomics, and promising new drug candidates. These advances will stimulate the ongoing quest to understand Cryptosporidium and the pathogenesis of cryptosporidiosis and to develop new approaches to combat this disease.