A method of determining relative potency of glatiramer acetate (GA) is provided. Accordingly there is provided a method comprising: immunizing a mammal with Poly-YAK copolymer (pYAK); preparing a primary culture of T-cells from the immunized mammal; stimulating samples of the primary culture of T-cells with a reference standard batch of GA or a batch of GA; determining a stimulation parameter of the cells in each sample following a predetermined incubation time; and comparing the stimulation parameter in the cells so as to determine the relative potency of the batch of GA. Also provided are methods of preparing a batch of GA as acceptable for pharmaceutical use and treating multiple sclerosis (MS) in a subject.

An assay method for detecting antipolyvinyl alcohol (anti-PVAL) antibodies in test samples, such as serum, is described. The method comprises combining a sample to be tested for an anti-PVAL antibody with polyvinyl alcohol (PVAL) to form a binary complex of the PVAL with an anti-PVAL antibody in the sample, followed by reacting an indicator reagent with the binary complex to form a labeled ternary complex, and then detecting the presence or absence of the ternary complex in the sample. Kits for performing the test are also described.

A device and methods of use thereof for isolating one or more microorganisms from a biological sample, the device comprising a polymeric surface having one or more cationic polymers covalently grafted thereto, wherein the one or more cationic polymers have a selective affinity for the one or more microorganisms.

Subject of the invention is a composition comprising at least one fragment of the peptide ESAT-6 and at least one fragment of the peptide CFP-10. Preferably, the fragments comprise at least two sets of peptides, a first set comprising at least one peptide of from about 7 to 14 amino acid residues in length and a second set comprising at least one peptide of from 16 amino acid residues or greater. The invention also relates to diagnostic methods using the composition.