Genetically Engineered Syrian Hamster Model for HBV

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major global health challenge that infects the liver and can lead to both acute and chronic disease. Approximately 254 million people worldwide live with chronic HBV, with an estimated 1.2 million new infections and 1.1 million deaths annually due to related complications. Although vaccines are available and typically administered in infancy, immunity in adults may wane without booster doses and infant vaccination rates have declined in recent years, highlighting the continued need for effective treatments after infection. However, progress in HBV research has been limited by the lack of suitable animal models. Existing models, including genetically modified mice, nonhuman primates, tree shrews, woodchucks, and ducks, either fail to fully recapitulate natural HBV infection, do not support the complete viral life cycle, rely on surrogate viruses, or present challenges related to cost, regulation, and maintenance. Chimpanzees are the most representative animal model and closely mimic human immune responses, but their use is highly restricted, which limits accessibility for research. To address this unmet need, researchers at Utah State University have developed a novel genetically engineered Syrian hamster model that is immunocompetent and permissive to HBV infection, offering a more practical, cost-effective, and biologically relevant platform for studying HBV and accelerating the development of curative therapies.