New progress in development of animal models of hepatitis C virus infection

An animal model of hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection involves the use of an animal to build the model for simulating the whole process of HCV infection in humans.Establishing an ideal animal model for HCV infection is conducive to study on the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C,including virus-host interactions,viral variability,and host immune response patterns.Additionally,it provides a more effective technical strategy for screening antiviral drugs and developing preventive vaccines.This article summarizes well-known animal models of HCV infection,such as those established in chimpanzees,tree shrews,and mice.The advantages and drawbacks of each kind of animal models are analyzed.In recent years,the establishment of small animal models,particularly those in transgenic mice,has opened up a new field in the development of animal models of HCV infection,which will be the hotspot and emphasis of relevant animal model studies.