Whole-cell vaccine

Whole-cell vaccines are a type of vaccine that has been prepared in the laboratory from entire cells. Such vaccines simultaneously contain multiple antigens to activate the immune system. They induce antigen-specific T-cell responses.

Whole-cell vaccines have been researched in the fields of bacterial infectious disease (as an inactivated vaccine) and cancer (as tumor cells modified to stimulate the immune system by secreting stimulatory molecules). One whole-cell vaccine that sees global use is the whole-cell pertussis vaccine.