A method of diagnosing coeliac disease, or susceptibility to coeliac disease, in an individual comprising: (a) contacting a sample from the host with an agent selected from (i) the epitope comprising sequence which is: SEQ ID NO:1 or 2, or an equivalent sequence from a naturally occurring homologue of the gliadin represented by SEQ ID NO:3, (ii) an epitope comprising sequence comprising: SEQ ID NO:1, or an equivalent sequence from a naturally occurring homologue of the gliadin represented by SEQ ID NO:3, which epitope is an isolated oligopeptide derived from a gliadin protein, (iii) an analogue of (i) or (ii) which is capable of being recognised by a T cell receptor that recognises (i) or (ii), which in the case of a peptide analogue is not more than 50 amino acids in length, or (iv) a product comprising two or more agents as defined in (i), (ii) or (iii), and (b) determining in vitro whether T cells in the sample recognise the agent; recognition by the T cells indicating that the individual has, or is susceptible to, coeliac disease. Therapeutic compositions which comprise the epitope and gliadin proteins which do not cause coeliac disease are also provided.

The invention herein disclosed provides for compositions, methods for synthesizing said compositions, and methods for using said compositions, wherein the compositions and methods may be used to bind to and/or deactivate a poison oak oil, such as urushiol. The compositions and methods can be used to treat and/or reduce an inflammatory reaction and/or hypersensitivity to natural compounds found in poison oak, poison ivy, poison sumac, mango, lac tree, cashew nut, and Asian lacquer.

In various embodiments, provided are methods for selecting and formulating compositions for treating and maintaining the quality of skin in a select population, wherein a composition is selected for use in a personal care product based on its demonstrated biological effect to improve skin quality in the population as evidenced by one or more biomarker changes that correlate with improvement as evidenced by one or more objective measurements of skin health in the population.

Provided are methods of quantifying miRNA in skin, the method comprising: applying a swellable microprotrusion array to a region of skin to absorb interstitial fluid; removing the microprotrusion array; recovering miRNA from the interstitial fluid absorbed into the microprotrusion array; and quantifying the miRNA. Also provided are methods of monitoring epigenetic changes in skin using a swellable microprotrusion array.

A prefilled cutaneous patch is provided for testing for allergic contact dermatitis and/or skin sensitivity. The patch comprises one or more wells containing ingredients that may be mixed with a suitable base (e.g., petrolatum, an aqueous solution, an anhydrous compound). The patch further comprises a backing that features an adhesive surface for adhering to a user's skin, and one or more landmarks that facilitate marking of the skin to visually demonstrate an orientation of the applied patch (e.g., which end is up, locations of wells). A landmark may comprise a dye or ink, which may be installed in one or more wells or elsewhere on the patch such that it is transferred to the user's skin when the patch is applied. Also, or alternatively, a landmark may comprise a stencil through which the user may mark the skin with a pattern that promotes interpretation of the results of the testing.

The invention relates to the application of a skin patch test for the detection of the specific cellular immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2). The skin patch contains a formulated version of the recombinant form of SARS-CoV-2 antigenic protein. The application of the skin patch allows to follow the local skin reaction reflecting the strength of the cellular immune reaction against SARS-CoV-2, thus the skin test is applicable to a diagnostic evaluation of the specific cellular immunity evoked by previous virus infection or by vaccination against COVID-19.

The present invention is directed to reagents useful for generating immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and for diagnosing infection and disease in a subject that has been exposed to M. tuberculosis.

Activatable compositions that include at least one functional moiety and at least one cleavable linker directly or indirectly linked to the at least one functional moiety are disclosed. The at least one functional moiety is inactive when linked to the linker and activated upon cleavage of the linker. Methods of production and use of the activatable composition are also disclosed.

In various embodiments, provided are methods for selecting and formulating compositions for treating and maintaining the quality of skin in a select population, wherein a composition is selected for use in a personal care product based on its demonstrated biological effect to improve skin quality in the population as evidenced by one or more biomarker changes that correlate with improvement as evidenced by one or more objective measurements of skin health in the population.

The present invention is directed to reagents useful for generating immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and for diagnosing infection and disease in a subject that has been exposed to M. tuberculosis.