Review

. 2024 Jul 18;45(4):877-909.

doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.199.

Study of tree shrew biology and models: A booming and prosperous field for biomedical research

Yong-Gang Yao^{1

2

3

4}, Li Lu^{1

2

3

5}, Rong-Jun Ni^{6

7}, Rui Bi^{1

2

3

5}, Ceshi Chen¹, Jia-Qi Chen², Eberhard Fuchs⁸, Marina Gorbatyuk⁹, Hao Lei^{10

11}, Hongli Li^{1

2

3}, Chunyu Liu¹², Long-Bao Lv², Kyoko Tsukiyama-Kohara¹³, Michinori Kohara¹⁴, Claudia Perez-Cruz¹⁵, Gregor Rainer¹⁶, Bao-Ci Shan^{17

18}, Fang Shen^{19

20}, An-Zhou Tang^{21

22}, Jing Wang²³, Wei Xia^{21

22}, Xueshan Xia²⁴, Ling Xu^{1

2

3

5}, Dandan Yu^{1

2

3

5}, Feng Zhang¹², Ping Zheng^{1

2

3

5}, Yong-Tang Zheng^{1

2

3

5}, Jumin Zhou¹, Jiang-Ning Zhou^{25

26}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China.
² National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), and National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650107, China.
³ KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China.
⁴ Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China. E-mail: yaoyg@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
⁵ Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China.
⁶ Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
⁷ Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu, Sichuan 610044, China.
⁸ German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute of Primate Research, Göttingen 37077, Germany.
⁹ Department of Optometry and Vision Science, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
¹⁰ State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
¹¹ Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China.
¹² Soong Ching Ling Institute of Maternity and Child Health, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
¹³ Transboundary Animal Diseases Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima-city, Kagoshima 890-8580, Japan.
¹⁴ Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan.
¹⁵ Pharmacology Department, Cinvestav, Mexico City 07360, Mexico.
¹⁶ Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg CH-1700, Switzerland.
¹⁷ Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
¹⁸ School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
¹⁹ CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
²⁰ Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
²¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530000, China.
²² Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi 530000, China.
²³ Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211166, China.
²⁴ School of Public Health, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China.
²⁵ CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
²⁶ Institute of Brain Science, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China.

PMID: 39004865
PMCID: PMC11298672
DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.199

Review

Study of tree shrew biology and models: A booming and prosperous field for biomedical research

Yong-Gang Yao et al. Zool Res. 2024.

. 2024 Jul 18;45(4):877-909.

doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.199.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China.
² National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), and National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650107, China.
³ KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China.
⁴ Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China. E-mail: yaoyg@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
⁵ Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China.
⁶ Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
⁷ Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu, Sichuan 610044, China.
⁸ German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute of Primate Research, Göttingen 37077, Germany.
⁹ Department of Optometry and Vision Science, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
¹⁰ State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
¹¹ Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China.
¹² Soong Ching Ling Institute of Maternity and Child Health, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
¹³ Transboundary Animal Diseases Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima-city, Kagoshima 890-8580, Japan.
¹⁴ Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan.
¹⁵ Pharmacology Department, Cinvestav, Mexico City 07360, Mexico.
¹⁶ Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg CH-1700, Switzerland.
¹⁷ Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
¹⁸ School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
¹⁹ CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
²⁰ Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
²¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530000, China.
²² Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi 530000, China.
²³ Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211166, China.
²⁴ School of Public Health, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China.
²⁵ CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
²⁶ Institute of Brain Science, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China.

PMID: 39004865
PMCID: PMC11298672
DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.199

Abstract
in English, Chinese

The tree shrew ( Tupaia belangeri) has long been proposed as a suitable alternative to non-human primates (NHPs) in biomedical and laboratory research due to its close evolutionary relationship with primates. In recent years, significant advances have facilitated tree shrew studies, including the determination of the tree shrew genome, genetic manipulation using spermatogonial stem cells, viral vector-mediated gene delivery, and mapping of the tree shrew brain atlas. However, the limited availability of tree shrews globally remains a substantial challenge in the field. Additionally, determining the key questions best answered using tree shrews constitutes another difficulty. Tree shrew models have historically been used to study hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, myopia, and psychosocial stress-induced depression, with more recent studies focusing on developing animal models for infectious and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite these efforts, the impact of tree shrew models has not yet matched that of rodent or NHP models in biomedical research. This review summarizes the prominent advancements in tree shrew research and reflects on the key biological questions addressed using this model. We emphasize that intensive dedication and robust international collaboration are essential for achieving breakthroughs in tree shrew studies. The use of tree shrews as a unique resource is expected to gain considerable attention with the application of advanced techniques and the development of viable animal models, meeting the increasing demands of life science and biomedical research.

树鼩（ Tupaia belangeri）是灵长类动物的近亲，长期以来一直被提议作为生物医学和实验研究中灵长类动物的合适替代品。近年来，树鼩的研究取得了重大进展，如树鼩基因组测定、使用精原干细胞成功实现树鼩基因操作、病毒载体介导的基因传递以及树鼩脑图谱绘制等。然而，全球范围内的实验树鼩供应有限，仍然是该领域面临的重大挑战。此外，确定最适合使用树鼩来研究的关键问题，也是一个困难。树鼩模型在历史上被用于研究乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）和丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染、近视和心理社会压力引发的抑郁症，最近的研究重点是开发感染性疾病和神经退行性疾病的树鼩动物模型。尽管有这些努力与成效，树鼩模型在生物医学研究中的影响力，还远未达到啮齿动物或灵长类动物模型的水平。该综述总结了树鼩研究中的重要进展，并对使用树鼩模型解决的关键生物学问题进行了反思。该文强调，为了在树鼩研究中取得突破，需要更广泛和深度的国际合作与投入。随着先进技术的应用和动物模型的开发，树鼩作为一种独特资源，有望受到越来越多的关注，以满足生命科学和生物医学研究中日益增长的需求。.

Keywords: Animal model; Infectious diseases; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neuroscience; Phenome; Tree shrew.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Advantages and disadvantages of tree shrews as experimental models compared to rodents and non-human primates

**Figure 2**
Number of tree shrew publications in the field

**Figure 3**
Spontaneous diseases in inbred tree shrew populations

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Study of tree shrew biology and models: A booming and prosperous field for biomedical research

Affiliations

Study of tree shrew biology and models: A booming and prosperous field for biomedical research

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Abstract
in English, Chinese

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