The Eastern woodchuck (Marmota monax) is naturally infected by woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV). WHV was discovered in 1978 as a virus closely related to HBV [89] and classified as a member of Hepadnaviridae family. WHV and HBV show a marked similarity in the virion structure, genomic organization, and the mechanism of replication, but differ in several aspects, for example, regulation of transcription (Table 1 ) [90] . WHV causes acute self-limiting and chronic infection similar to HBV infection in the pathogenesis and profiles of the virus-specific immune response [91] . This feature of the woodchuck model makes it so significant for investigation of the new therapeutic approaches in chronic hepatitis B. Experimental infection of neonates or adult woodchucks with WHV reflects the outcome of HBV infection in humans. In adult woodchucks infection with WHV usually leads to the resolution of infection and only 5%-10% of animals will develop the chronic hepatitis. The exposure of woodchuck, neonates to WHV results in development of chronic WHV infection in 60%-75% of the cases [92] . The continuous replication of WHV in the liver during the chronic infection is nearly always associated with development of HCC in the woodchucks [93, 94] . After diagnosis of HCC the survival prognosis of the animals is estimated on about 6 months, like in humans. The common features of HBV-and WHVinduced carcinogenesis give the opportunity to examine the new anti-HCC therapies in the woodchucks [95] .