Cryptosporidium emerged as a leading global cause of severe diarrheal disease in children. The parasite occupies a unique intracellular niche at the brush border of intestinal epithelial cells, where it undergoes a complex sexual life cycle. How this life cycle unfolds and how host and parasite interact remain largely to be discovered. A series of technical advances now offer genetic and immunological tools for mechanistic investigation of the parasite. Here we introduce the pathogen and disease and highlight important questions to tackle onward. We invite scientists to consider this versatile parasite model to probe the biology and immunology of the intestine.

隐孢子虫已成为儿童严重腹泻病的全球主要诱因。寄生虫在肠道上皮细胞的刷状边界处占据独特的细胞内生态位，在此经历复杂的性生活周期。这个生命周期如何展开以及宿主和寄生虫如何相互作用仍需大量研究。现在，一系列技术进步为寄生虫的机理研究提供了遗传和免疫学工具。在这里，我们介绍病原体和疾病，并着重指出需要解决的重要问题。我们邀请科学家考虑使用这种多功能的寄生虫模型来探测肠道的生物学和免疫学。