For elite athletes seeking to be at the peak of their game, how their body handles stress could give them the edge or see them fall short of the finishing line.
While for the rest of us the stress of daily life, work and worries can be linked to a range of metabolic and neurological disorders, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Spotting high levels of “stress hormone” cortisol can be an important factor in identifying problems and raising the alert that it's time to 'de-stress' however, measuring it involves either invasive blood tests or less reliable saliva swabs.
Now a Stirling-based nano-material technology firm has developed a sensor 100 times more sensitive than existing saliva cortisol tests, offering highly accurate laboratory-quality measurements and helping avoid the need for invasive blood sampling.
As well as helping top athletes easily analyse their cortisol levels and plan their training accordingly, the simple sensor could help spot raised cortisol levels linked to disorders such as Addison’s disease and Cushing’s syndrome.
It could also be used to support diabetics: cortisol’s impact makes it harder for insulin to work properly leading to a spike in blood sugar levels. If stress isn’t controlled, blood sugar levels can remain high causing complications.
The revolutionary new sensor has been developed using a unique, porous 3D carbon nanostructure called a Gii-Sens electrode created by iGii, formerly known as Integrated Graphene.
It uses so-called 'super material' graphene which although is only one atom thick, is 200 times stronger than steel yet lightweight and flexible. It is also the most conductive material discovered, raising its potential for electronics and medical uses.
The sensor, said to be more sensitive and more sustainable when compared to other commonly used sensor materials such as gold, is fitted within an electrochemical biosensor which enables real-time 'point of care' cortisol tracking.
It raises the prospect of it being used at a GP surgery or, potentially, sports stadium or even at home.
It has been developed alongside researchers at Tufts University School of Engineering and is said to be vastly more sensitive than existing saliva tests, giving it potential to offer crucial insights into human stress levels and their impact on a wide range of conditions.
Having established its effectiveness, the firm is now working with medical technology companies worldwide to explore how the Gii-Sens electrode might enhance existing diagnostic tests or help design new ones.
Cortisol is released by the adrenal gland as a result of a chemical signal from the brain which is triggered when someone feels danger or panic.
The body then uses it to restrict certain processes and divert strength and energy elsewhere to deal with the ‘threat’.
As well as sparking heightened emotions such as fear and anger, cortisol can interact with most of the body’s systems.
High cortisol levels can be linked to a range of conditions such as weight gain, heart problems, high blood pressure and depression. Low levels, meanwhile, can lead to fatigue and weight loss.
For athletes, exercise can act as a ‘stressor’, with over-training potentially leading to a surge of cortisol. That puts them at risk of becoming fatigued, injured as muscles remain tense for longer and sickness as white blood platelet cells – immunity cells – decrease.
Regular cortisol testing can help plot their training regimes and rest days. Cortisol testing has also been carried out to monitor stress levels among frontline workers in high pressure roles.
Because cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day and vary significantly among individuals, a series of tests are often required to establish patterns making blood tests several times a day particularly invasive.
It’s hoped the new more effective saliva test could help spot early onset of psychological and physiological health conditions, among them stress-related metabolic disorders such as heart and liver disease and diabetes, and neurological disorders.
The Stirling-based firm's graphene-based biosensors have also been used in collaboration with scientists at University of Bath to create a new ‘mobile’ chemosensor to detect lactic acid, and help identify when it reaches dangerously high levels.
Lactic accident is a byproduct generated by the body when it metabolises carbohydrates or glucose for fuel, for example, during exercise.
However, raised levels are linked with higher risks of falling unconscious or into a coma and major organ failure.
Currently, lactic acid is often measured with an enzyme test which has a limited shelf life and requires battery powered sensing equipment.
However, the new chemosensor functions with electricity without needing reference electrodes or battery power.
It opens the possibility for an easy-to-use sensor for use in remote locations such as an athletics track, without the need for electricity-powered sensing equipment.
Jean-Christophe Granier, Chief Executive Officer, iGii, said the latest developments are "another clear example of Gii-Sens being integrated into different biosensors to test different conditions.
“As well as being considerably more accurate and reliable than existing tests, Gii-Sens is much more cost-effective and sustainable than other materials, such as gold, used in medical diagnostic tests.”
The sensors' success comes as iGii receives £8.8million in new funding to boost growth. It includes a £4m injection from the Scottish National Investment Bank, with a further £4.8m from existing iGii shareholders Archangel Investors and Par Equity, both of which first invested in the business in 2020.
The funds will accelerate customer projects, increase its manufacturing capacity, and deepen its research and development to explore further applications of its patented Gii™ material.
It has also announced plans to expand its facilities and to deepen research into other applications for its technology, including water and food quality sensors, agricultural sensors, and battery storage.
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