Biomimetic bioelectronics using human glucocorticoid receptor for stress monitoring

Abstract

Stress is a cause of various physiological and psychological disorders and is closely associated with cortisol, a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. While cortisol is essential for maintaining homeostasis during acute stress, chronically elevated levels can disrupt physiological functions and contribute to disease development. Therefore, cortisol is considered a key physiological stress marker, and continuous monitoring of cortisol levels is crucial for effective stress assessment and health management. In this study, we developed a novel bioelectronic sensor for detecting cortisol. The human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR) and its ligand-binding domain (hGR-LBD), both key components for recognizing cortisol, were recombinantly expressed in E. coli . Comparative functional analyses revealed that the hGR-LBD exhibited robust ligand-binding activity. Thus, it was selected as the cortisol recognition element and immobilized on a graphene-based field-effect transistor (GFET). The resulting sensor enables real-time monitoring with high sensitivity and selectivity, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 100 fM. Additionally, the device demonstrated highly selective cortisol detection in artificial sweat samples. These findings highlight the strong potential of the hGR-LBD-based GFET for noninvasive and real-time monitoring of cortisol for stress assessment and health management. Copyright © 2026. Published by Elsevier B.V.