Cryptosporidium host cell interaction remains fairly obscure compared with other apicomplexans such as Plasmodium or Toxoplasma. The reason for this is probably the inability of this parasite to complete its life cycle in vitro and the lack of a system to genetically modify Cryptosporidium. However, there is a substantial set of data about the molecules involved in attachment and invasion and about the host cell pathways involved in actin arrangement that are altered by the parasite. Here we summarize the recent advances in research on host cell infection regarding the excystation process, attachment and invasion, survival in the cell, egress and the available data on omics.
Infection with the gastrointestinal nematode used in our study leads to significant inhibition of mucosa-associated but not cutaneous allergic reactions, pointing to a site specificity of the immunomodulation exerted by helminths. This finding might be an important aspect for future considerations of helminths for treatment of allergic diseases.
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