Meng Xingyu, Li Zhaoxian, Yue Wan, Zhang Limei, Xie Zhuang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronic Materials and Wearable Devices, Key Laboratory for Polymeric Composite and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China.
Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
ACS Sens. 2025 Jan 24;10(1):54-75. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.4c02877. Epub 2025 Jan 6.
Steroid hormones, especially progesterone (P), estradiol (E), and testosterone (T), are key bioactive regulators in various female physiological processes, including growth and development, ovulation, and the reproductive cycle, as well as metabolism and mental health. As lipophilic molecules produced in sex glands, these steroid female hormones can be transported through blood vessels into various body fluids such as saliva, sweat, and urine. However, the ultralow concentration of steroid hormones down to picomolar (pM) level necessitates great demands for ultrasensitive but low-cost analytic tools to implement accurate, point-of-care or even continuous monitoring in a user-friendly fashion. This review focuses on the latest advances in materials and nanotechnologies to allow the rapid detection of female hormones at the pM level or below and the potentials in at-home and wearable hormone monitoring. We specifically summarize the optical and electrochemical strategies in this category, particularly those affording low cost and portable signal readout for at-home use. Furthermore, emerging flexible/wearable innovations are highlighted, which allow the continuous hormone cycle tracking in a noninvasive manner. The potential of these techniques is discussed to address the need for real-time acquisition of the hormone fluctuation, facilitating health monitoring at home. Lastly, we provide a comprehensive introduction to the prospects of female hormone monitoring in clinical diagnosis and treatment, from the perspective of gynecology and reproductive medicine clinicians.
类固醇激素，尤其是孕酮（P）、雌二醇（E）和睾酮（T），是女性各种生理过程中的关键生物活性调节剂，包括生长发育、排卵和生殖周期，以及新陈代谢和心理健康。作为性腺产生的亲脂性分子，这些类固醇女性激素可以通过血管运输到各种体液中，如唾液、汗液和尿液。然而，类固醇激素的超低浓度低至皮摩尔（pM）水平，这就需要超灵敏但低成本的分析工具，以便以用户友好的方式进行准确的即时检测甚至连续监测。本综述重点介绍了材料和纳米技术的最新进展，以实现对皮摩尔水平及以下的女性激素进行快速检测，以及在家用和可穿戴激素监测方面的潜力。我们特别总结了这方面的光学和电化学策略，尤其是那些提供低成本和便携式信号读出以供家庭使用。此外，还重点介绍了新兴的柔性/可穿戴创新技术，这些技术能够以无创方式连续跟踪激素周期。讨论了这些技术在满足实时获取激素波动需求、促进家庭健康监测方面的潜力。最后，我们从妇科和生殖医学临床医生的角度，全面介绍了女性激素监测在临床诊断和治疗中的前景。
