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Empirical testing of candidate vaccines has led to the successful development of a number of lifesaving vaccines. The advent of new tools to manipulate antigens and new methods and vectors for vaccine delivery has led to a veritable explosion of potential vaccine designs. As a result, selection of candidate vaccines suitable for large-scale efficacy testing has become more challenging. This is especially true for diseases such as dengue, HIV, and tuberculosis where there is no validated animal model or correlate of immune protection. Establishing guidelines for the selection of vaccine candidates for advanced testing has become a necessity. A number of factors could be considered in making these decisions, including, for example, safety in animal and human studies, immune profile, protection in animal studies, production processes with product quality and stability, availability of resources, and estimated cost of goods. The 'immune space template' proposed here provides a standardized approach by which the quality, level, and durability of immune responses elicited in early human trials by a candidate vaccine can be described. The immune response profile will demonstrate if and how the candidate is unique relative to other candidates, especially those that have preceded it into efficacy testing and, thus, what new information concerning potential immune correlates could be learned from an efficacy trial. A thorough characterization of immune responses should also provide insight into a developer's rationale for the vaccine's proposed mechanism of action. HIV vaccine researchers plan to include this general approach in up-selecting candidates for the next large efficacy trial. This 'immune space' approach may also be applicable to other vaccine development endeavors where correlates of vaccine-induced immune protection remain unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Overweight BMI and Alcohol Use Are Associated with Immune Responses in Phase I HIV Vaccine Trials" by Gaudensia Mutua, Juliet Mpendo and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Participation in Clinical Research Could Modify Background Risk for Trial Outcome Measures" by Andrew M. Abaasa, Gershim Asiki, Jonathan Levin, Ubaldo Bahemuka and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Implementation of a Training Program to Standardize Mucosal Sample Collection and Processing at Multiple Laboratories in Eastern Africa" by Robert Langat, Elizabeth Mutisya, Harriet Park and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Use of Virtual Cohorts in Zambia's Couples' Voluntary Counseling and Testing (CVCT) as a Screening Mechanism for Clinical Trials" by Tyronza Sharkey, Rachel Parker, William Kilembe and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Detection of Vaccine Induced Mucosal Antibodies in Phase I HIV Preventative Vaccine Trials" by Phil Bergin and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Assessment of Understanding for Informed Consent in HIV Vaccine Trials" by Graham C. Lindegger and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Prevalence of HIV, Sexual Transmitted Infections and High Risk Sexual Behaviors among Female Sex Workers in Kigali, Rwanda" by Jeannine Mukamuyango and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Recall of Acute Retroviral Symptoms in a Multicentre Cohort Study in Africa" by Eduard J. Sanders, Kimberley A. Powers, Etienne Karita and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Participation of Individuals from Fishing Communities in a Simulated Vaccine Efficacy Trial in Preparation for Future HIV Prevention Work" by Gershim Asiki, Andrew Abaasa, Ubaldo Bahemuka and colleagues is presented.