| HBV is the leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. At present about 240 million people are infected with HBV in the world, and nearly 1 million people die annually from HBV related liver diseases, therefore HBV is one of major global public health problems. As a hepatotropic virus, HBV has an extremely specific host range and can be replicated in several specific animals. For a long time, animal models supporting HBV infection play a crucial role on the understanding of pathogenic mechanism and rapid development of effective treatment options for HBV infection. The gradual improvement of HBV mouse models has greatly furthered our understanding of HBV virology and provided useful tools for studying HBV. This paper updates the progress in the field. |