Novel compounds and methods for the inhibition of biological barrier permeability and for the inhibition of peptide translocation across biological barriers are identified. Assays for determining modulators of biological barrier permeability and for peptide translocation across biological barriers are provided. Methods for treating diseases relating to aberrant biological barrier permeability and peptide translocation across biological barriers are provided. Such diseases include celiac disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, diabetes, cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases, asthma, COPD, excessive or undesirable immune response, gluten sensitivity, gluten allergy, food allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, immune-mediated or type 1 diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, scleroderma and autoimmune thyroid diseases.