Intestinal stem cells are very important for maintaining the homeostasis of various kinds of intestinal epithelial cells. Under normal circumstances, intestinal stem cells located at the base of the crypt will continue to migrate to the top of the crypt and differentiate into different intestinal mucosal cells. Intestinal stem cells are renewed every 3-5 d to maintain the renewal and repair of intestinal epithelium after injury. The dynamic balance of intestinal epithelium is mainly maintained by active intestinal stem cells when intestinal epithelium is intact, while the quiescent intestinal stem cells play a major role in repairing intestinal injury when intestinal epithelia is injuried. In recent years, with the development of biotechnology, the research on intestinal stem cells has been constantly updated and developed. Based on the relevant literatures at home and abroad, this paper reviews the main biotechnology, newly discovered intestinal stem cell subsets and markers and regulatory factors for intestinal stem cell research.