Peromyscus as a model of human disease

Animals of the genus Peromyscus have been a particularly informative model for many areas of study, including behavior, evolution, anatomy, physiology and genetics. While their use in modeling human disease and pathology has been relatively restricted, certain qualities of Peromyscine mice may make them a good candidate for such studies. Pathophysiological conditions where Peromyscus may be of particular value involve aging, reactive oxygen species-associated pathologies, metabolism and detoxification, diabetes, and certain cancers. In this review article we will summarize pathological conditions where Peromyscus have been used effectively, we will discuss factors limiting the use of Peromyscus in studying pathology and we will indicate areas at which the use of this model may be of special value.