[2] Whole-cell vaccines have been researched in the fields of bacterial infectious disease (as an inactivated vaccine)[3] and cancer (as tumor cells modified to stimulate the immune system by secreting stimulatory molecules).
Depending upon the different B. pertussis antigens, the immune response produced by the whole-cell vaccine also varies.
Immunoglobulin G responses to the whole-cell vaccine was determined by pan proteome microassay and found that the whole-cell pneumococcal vaccine induced an increase in IgG response in a naturally immunogenic protein expressed by RM200 and also caused a reaction to PclA, PspC and ZmpB protein variants.
Whole-cell tumour vaccines represent one form of immunotherapy method undergoing clinical development.
[2] Phase I & II clinical trials of various whole-cell tumour vaccines indicate this method is safe for cancer patients.
By interacting with the Fas ligand or secretion of lytic enzymes, cytotoxic T lymphocytes can lead to apoptosis.