Recent advances in genetic manipulation of Cryptosporidium

• Published in: Current opinion in microbiology Vol. 58; pp. 146 - 152
• Main Author: Vinayak, Sumiti
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2020
• ISSN: 1369-5274; 1879-0364
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.09.010

•Cryptosporidium parvum can be genetically manipulated using CRISPR/Cas9.•Genetically manipulated C. parvum can be propagated in immunocompromised mice.•Genetic manipulation allows functional characterization of parasite genes.•Transgenic reporter strains advance drug screening in vitro and in vivo.•Genetics opens new avenues for studying Cryptosporidium biology and drug discovery. Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of diarrhea-associated morbidity and mortality in young children. Currently, there is no fully effective drug to treat cryptosporidiosis and a complete lack of vaccine to prevent disease. For a long time, progress in the field of Cryptosporidium research has been hindered due to unavailability of methods to propagate the parasite, lack of efficient animal infection models and most importantly, the absence of technology to genetically manipulate the parasite. The recent advent of molecular genetics has been transformative for Cryptosporidium research, and is facilitating our fundamental understanding of parasite biology, and accelerating the pace of drug discovery. This review summarizes recent advancements in genetic manipulation and its applications for studying parasite gene function, host-parasite interactions and discovery of anti-cryptosporidial drugs.