Non-invasive electrochemical detection of cortisol in artificial sweat using molecularly imprinted polymer 2026 Ayankojo et al

[Andy]

Highlights​

• A MIP-based cortisol sensor developed without amplification nanomaterials.
• Sensor demonstrated a wide analytical range (100 pg/mL – 160 ng/mL).
• High selectivity achieved among other steroids in artificial sweat.
• Sensor showed reusability across nine rebinding/regeneration cycles.

Abstract​

Cortisol or its medicinal form hydrocortisone (HCT) in accessible biofluids is widely used as a biomarker of stress and stress-related disorders, including Cushing syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorders, and fibromyalgia.

Here, we report a simple nanomaterial-free electrochemical sensing strategy for selective cortisol detection based on a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) formed directly on indium tin oxide (ITO). The resulting sensor exhibited a wide linear dynamic range (100 pg/mL to 160 ng/mL) in artificial sweat, covering clinically relevant cortisol concentrations. Detection limits of 2.2 pg/mL and 8.2 ng/mL in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and artificial sweat respectively, were achieved. Sensor's selectivity was validated against structurally related steroid hormones (cortisone, progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone) and other interferents of comparable molecular weight. The sensor also demonstrated strong initial operational stability and reusability over at least nine rebinding/regeneration cycles with minimal performance drift (RSD <5%). Thus, despite the exclusion of signal amplifying nanomaterial in the sensor preparation, an analytical platform with high performance was achieved through intelligent molecular design.

This approach is readily transferrable to other electrode architectures that support more flexible and wearable cortisol monitoring in non-invasive biofluids for clinical and well-being applications.

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[Andy]

Only posting due to the mention of ME/CFS.

 

[rvallee]

Cortisol ... is widely used as a biomarker of stress and stress-related disorders, including Cushing syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorders, and fibromyalgia

How the hell does BS like this get published? Not only is it not 'widely' used, it is not even used, because it's not a biomarker for any of those things, aside maybe for Cushing's, but that still makes it odd to include among those, and the notion that any of those are 'stress-related disorders' has zero basis in fact.

In fact as we have followed over the years, the whole thing was always false and amplified entirely on the invalid notion that cortisol is a biomarker for stress, which it isn't: https://www.s4me.info/threads/cortisol-levels-in-me-cfs.41615/.

Every day we are nearing the point at which AIs will do better scientific research than humans and this is only partly explained by AIs getting better over time, with heaps of "the humans are actually getting worse at it" to accelerate the whole thing.