The genus Alistipes is mailnly isolated from the human gut microbiome and belongs to the phylum Bacteroidetes. Various species of the genus Alistipes have been isolated from samples of human feces, patients with appendicitis, abdominal cavity and rectal abscesses. Currently, this genus includes species such as Alistipes finegoldii, Alistipes putredinis, Alistipes onderdonkii, Alistipes shahii and Alistipes timonensis. Some studies have shown that Alistipes has a protective effect against certain diseases, including pancreatic cancer, Alzheimer′s disease, liver fibrosis and cardiovascular disease. Conversely, other studies have shown that Alistipes is pathogenic in some diseases such as Parkinson′s disease, colorectal cancer and depression. In addition, Alistipes has also been proved to play a paradoxical role in colitis as it can promote the development of colitis and suppress inflammation. This article was to increase the understanding about the genus Alistipes and to further summarize the relationship between Alistipes and diseases.