Less is more: reducing the reliance on animal models for nausea and vomiting research

Animals have been used as experimental models for centuries and their use has enabled researchers to make significant advances in many areas of human health and disease. However, this is not always the case and there are limitations in using animal models as surrogates for humans, which have hampered the development of efficacious therapeutics for some pathologies. Scientific limitations, together with ethical concerns, legislative changes and the current economic climate are driving researchers to look for and develop alternative non-animal research tools. Technological advances in tissue engineering, 'omics' approaches and in silico modelling for example, are enabling scientists to conduct their research without using animals in a broad range of disciplines, including complex multi-system reflexes such as nausea and vomiting.