Cryptosporidium parvum infection attenuates the ex vivo propagation of murine intestinal enteroids.

Cryptosporidium, a ubiquitous coccidian protozoan parasite that infects the gastrointestinal epithelium and other mucosal surfaces, is an important opportunistic pathogen for immunocompromised individuals and a common cause of diarrhea in young children in the developing countries. One of the pathological hallmarks of intestinal cryptosporidiosis is villous atrophy, which results in a shorter height of intestinal villi. Here, we investigated the effects of Cryptosporidium infection on intestinal epithelial growth, using an ex vivo model of intestinal cryptosporidiosis employing enteroids from mice.