Interpreting challenge data from early phase malaria blood stage vaccine trials

Introduction: As the quest for an effective blood stage malaria vaccine continues, there is increasing reliance on the use of controlled human malaria infections (CHMI) in non-endemic settings to test vaccine efficacy at the earliest possible time. This is seen as a way to accelerate vaccine researc...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Michael F. Good, Louis H. Miller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2018-03-01
Series:Expert Review of Vaccines
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14760584.2018.1435278
Description
Summary:Introduction: As the quest for an effective blood stage malaria vaccine continues, there is increasing reliance on the use of controlled human malaria infections (CHMI) in non-endemic settings to test vaccine efficacy at the earliest possible time. This is seen as a way to accelerate vaccine research and quickly eliminate candidates with poor efficacy. Areas covered: The data from these studies need to be carefully examined and interpreted in light of the very different roles that antibody and cellular immunity play in protection and within the context of the distinct clinical sensitivities of volunteers living in malaria-non-endemic countries compared to those living in endemic countries. With current strategies, it is likely that vaccines with protective immunological ‘signatures’ will be missed and potentially good candidates discarded. Expert commentary: Efficacy data from early phase vaccine trials in non-endemic countries should not be used to decide whether or not to proceed to vaccine trials in endemic countries.
ISSN:1476-0584
1744-8395