Methods and apparatus for diagnosing cardiovascular health in a patient by monitoring changes in skin redness levels, which is associated with perfusion and ability of circulatory system to adapt to physical exertion. Color detectors including colorimeters and spectrophotometers may be used to monitor and quantify skin color. Wet run solutions such as acetylcholine solutions may be applied to the skin area being monitored. Skin redness can be monitored during the course of exercise or a stress test, as well as during recovery. Wearable color detector devices can be worn by patients during exercise.

Recombinant Mycobacteria (rMyc) which contain sequences encoding a heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) fission protein are provided, as are methods of making and using the rMyc and the fusion protein. The fusion protein includes an amino terminal mycobacterial antigen Ag85B leader peptide and transcription of the fusion protein is driven by an Ag85B promoter sequence. The recombinant fusion protein is produced in abundance by the rMyc, is post-translationally methylated, and is highly antigenic.

The specificity of CD4+ TH responses of German cockroach (Bla g) antigens, and whether differences exist in magnitude or functionality as a function of disease severity, is disclosed. Also disclosed are novel German cockroach allergens and epitopes.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a nanoparticle based platform, and nanoallergens for identifying, evaluating and studying allergen mimotopes as multiple copies of a single mimotope or various combinations on the same particle. The nanoparticle is extremely versatile and allows multivalent binding to IgEs specific to a variety of mimotopes, simulating allergen proteins. Nanoparticles can include various molecular ratios of components. For example, the nanoallergens can include about 0.1-40% mimotope-lipid conjugate and about 60-99.9% lipid. The mimotope-lipid conjugate includes a mimotope, a first linker, and lipid molecule. Nanoallergens can be used in in vitro and in vivo applications to identify a specific patient's sensitivity to a set of epitopes and predict a symptomatic clinical response, identify allergen epitopes through blind screening peptide sequences from allergen protein, and in a clinical application similar to a scratch test.

Provided are a novel Dermatophagoides farinae protein, and a diagnostic drug, a prophylactic drug and a therapeutic drug for an allergic disease caused by Dermatophagoides farinae.

A Dermatophagoides farinae protein selected from the group consisting of the following (a) to (c), or a fragment peptide thereof:

(a) a protein including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2;

(b) a protein including an amino acid sequence in which one or several amino acids have been substituted, deleted, or added relative to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, and having allergenicity of Dermatophagoides farinae; and

(c) a protein including an amino acid sequence having 90% or higher identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, and having allergenicity of Dermatophagoides farinae.

In general, the invention provides kits, devices, and methods for determining the ineffectiveness of an anesthetic, (e.g., lidocaine), using a topical approach that avoids injection. The methods typically employ the placement of aliquots of two different formulations, at least one including an anesthetic, in different locations on a subject. Further embodiments may employ a single formulation including the anesthetic.

Glucose-sensing luminescent dyes, polymers, and sensors are provided. Additionally, systems including the sensors and methods of using these sensors and systems are provided.

Methods and systems for treating delayed type hypersensitivity to allergens as well as treating various disorders associated with same.

Provided herein are devices and methods used to produce tattoo biosensors that are based on spatially controlled intracutaneous gene delivery of optical reporters driven by specific transcription factor pathways for a given cytokine or other analyte. The biosensors can be specific to a given analyte, or more generically represent the convergence of several cytokines into commonly shared intracellular transcription factor pathways. These biosensors can be delivered as an array in order to monitor multiple cytokines. Biosensor redeployment can enable chronic monitoring from months to years. The tattooed biosensor array of the present invention includes endogenous reporter cells, naturally tuned to each patient's own biology and can be used to reliably measure the state of a patient in real-time.

Recombinant Mycobacteria (rMyc) which contain sequences encoding a heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) fusion protein are provided, as are methods of making and using the rMyc and the fusion protein. The fusion protein includes an amino terminal mycobacterial antigen Ag85B leader peptide and transcription of the fusion protein is driven by an Ag85B promoter sequence. The recombinant fusion protein is produced in abundance by the rMyc, is post-translationally methylated, and is highly antigenic.