Assessment of humoral immune responses in malaria vaccine trials

Abstract

Clinical trials for new vaccine candidates evaluate safety and tolerability of future vaccines. In some studies immunogenicity is an additional exploratory aim. For this purpose immunological assays have to be established and further developed for future multicentre studies. Theimplementation of immunological assays and the different logistic conditions worldwide display new challenges for scientists working in this fi eld. Th is article shows this process on a recently conducted phase Ia clinical trial at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Tübingen, Germany, to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a new malaria vaccine candidate. Thegroup for clinical trials and immunology is the interphase for the establishment of immunological assays and their implementation in clinical trials. © Springer-Verlag 2010.