Creating animal models, why not use the Chinese tree shrew ( Tupaia belangeri chinensis )?

The Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis), a squirrel-like and rat-sized mammal, has a wide distribution in Southeast Asia, South and Southwest China and has many unique characteristics that make it suitable for use as an experimental animal. There have been many studies using the tree shrew ( Tupaia belangeri ) aimed at increasing our understanding of fundamental biological mechanisms and for the modeling of human diseases and therapeutic responses. The recent release of a publicly available annotated genome sequence of the Chinese tree shrew and its genome database (www.treeshrewdb.org) has offered a solid base from which it is possible to elucidate the basic biological properties and create animal models using this species. The extensive characterization of key factors and signaling pathways in the immune and nervous systems has shown that tree shrews possess both conserved and unique features relative to primates. Hitherto, the tree shrew has been successfully used to create animal models for myopia, depression, breast cancer, alcohol-induced or non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, to name a few. The recent successful genetic manipulation of the tree shrew has opened a new avenue for the wider usage of this animal in biomedical research. In this opinion paper, I attempt to summarize the recent research advances that have used the Chinese tree shrew, with a focus on the new knowledge obtained by using the biological properties identified using the tree shrew genome, a proposal for the genome-based approach for creating animal models, and the genetic manipulation of the tree shrew. With more studies using this species and the application of cutting-edge gene editing techniques, the tree shrew will continue to be under the spot light as a viable animal model for investigating the basis of many different human diseases. 中缅树鼩（ Tupaia belangeri chinensis ）是一种外形酷似松鼠、只有大鼠大小的哺乳动物，广泛分布于我国的华南和西南地区以及东南亚。它具有许多独特的特征，适合用作实验动物。目前已经有若干关于树鼩（ Tupaia belangeri ）的研究，这些研究增加了我们对其基础生物学机制的理解，并用其建立了一些人类疾病和治疗反应的动物模型。最近公开发布的中国树鼩的注释基因组序列及其基因组数据库（www.treeshrewdb.org），提供了一个坚实的平台，从中可以阐明树鼩基本的生物学特性，并使用该物种创建动物模型。针对树鼩免疫和神经系统的关键因子和信号通路的分析表明，相对于灵长类动物而言，树鼩兼具保守性和独特性。迄今为止，树鼩已经成功地用于制造近视、抑郁症、乳腺癌、酒精诱导或非酒精性脂肪肝疾病、I型单纯疱疹病毒（HSV-1）和丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染等的动物模型。最近树鼩的遗传操作技术的成功创建，为这种动物在生物医学研究中的广泛应用开辟了新的途径。本文中，本人试图总结近年来关于中国树鼩的研究进展，重点关注：1) 通过树鼩基因组挖掘分析获得其生物学特性的新知识，2) 基于基因组信息指导的方法创制动物模型的建议，3) 以及树鼩的遗传操作。随着更多的研究使用这种物种和应用最前沿的基因编辑技术，树鼩作