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.