Fertility
Non-invasive wearable patch could monitor oestrogen in sweat
The sensor could make it easier for women to monitor their estradiol levels at home, say researchers
Researchers from the California Institute of Technology have developed a wearable sensor that could reliably monitor estradiol by detecting its presence in sweat.
The sex hormone commonly known as oestrogen plays an important role in multiple aspects of women’s health and fertility.
High levels of oestrogen in the body are associated with breast and ovarian cancers, while low levels of estradiol can result in osteoporosis, heart disease, and even depression.
Oestrogen is a class of hormones that includes estradiol as the most potent form. Estradiol is also necessary for the development of secondary sexual characteristics in women and regulates the reproductive cycle.
Because of its many functions, estradiol is often specifically monitored by doctors, but this usually requires the patient to visit a clinic to have blood drawn for analysis in a lab.
The new wearable sensor, scientists argue, could monitor estradiol by detecting its presence in sweat, making it easier for women to monitor their estradiol levels at home and in real time.
The research, published in Nature Nanotechnology, was conducted in the lab of Wei Gao, assistant professor of medical engineering, investigator with the Heritage Medical Research Institute, and Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar.
Gao has previously developed sweat sensors that detect cortisol, the presence of the COVID-19 virus and a whole slew of other nutrients and biological compounds.
He says the development of the estradiol sensor was spurred in part by requests from people who were unsatisfied with the options they had for monitoring their oestrogen levels.
“People often ask me if I could make the same kind of sweat sensor for female hormones, because we know how much those hormones impact women’s health,” he explains.
The primary challenge, and what dictated changes in the sensor’s design, is that estradiol, which already is present at fairly low levels in the blood, is roughly 50 times less concentrated in sweat.
“Since it’s such a low concentration, it’s very challenging to detect estradiol automatically in sweat,” Gao says.
Despite this, testing in the laboratory has shown that the sensor could reliably and accurately track the changing levels of estradiol in sweat over the course of the reproductive cycle, from the lowest level during menstruation to its highest level (10 times greater) during ovulation.
Who could benefit from estradiol monitoring?
One population of women who could benefit from estradiol monitoring are those who are attempting to conceive, either naturally or through IVF.
The success of either method, Gao says, is dependent on getting timing right with regards to ovulation, but not all women have a reproductive cycle that follows a regular schedule.
Some women have been able to track their ovulation by monitoring their body temperature, but the researcher points out that method has limited usefulness because it is not very accurate and body temperature does not increase until ovulation has begun.
He says: “Because oestrogen increases before ovulation, with this sweat sensor, we would be able to give people notice ahead of time.”
Women undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could also benefit from a wearable oestrogen sensor, Gao adds, as their bodies do not produce sufficient estradiol.
In these patients, however, estradiol levels will need to be carefully monitored to ensure they are taking the correct dosage.
Gao says he plans to continue working on this technology to allow it to monitor other female hormones, like luteinising hormone or progesterone, which are both involved in ovulation.
He and his team hope to “miniaturise” the sensors so they could all fit inside of small wearable devices.
Onto Health has acquired Levy Health, a fertility software company providing precision diagnostics and patient intake for reproductive medicine.
The acquisition, fuelled by Onto Health’s US$20m Series A fundraise in April, supports its plan to build scalable, tech-enabled infrastructure for reproductive medicine.
Onto founder Roohi Jeelani, MD, called it the first of several moves in the company’s expansion strategy in a LinkedIn post, adding that there was “more coming soon”.
She said: “This isn’t just an acquisition, it’s proof of how we’re building Onto: physician-led, tech-enabled, and built to scale without losing the personal touch fertility patients deserve.”
Headquartered in Chicago, Onto Health combines evidence-based fertility care with artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics, clinical automation and longevity science.
AI-driven diagnostics use software to analyse patient information and support clinical decision-making, rather than replace clinicians.
Levy Health, founded in Berlin with US offices in San Francisco, helps medical providers identify endocrine disorders more quickly and helps clinics streamline fertility workups.
Endocrine disorders affect the body’s hormone system, which can influence ovulation, menstrual cycles and fertility.
Co-founder Caroline Mitterdorfer said joining Onto would expand Levy Health’s fertility care tools to more clinics and patients, helping physicians focus on patient care.
Onto opened its first clinic in Chicago in February, with plans for three more in the greater Chicago area.
The company said in April that it would use its new funding, led by Artis and Humania, to support additional operations in the US and expand into the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Gulf Cooperation Council includes six Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf.
Softening ageing ovaries could help women remain fertile for longer, early animal research suggests.
Fertility declines with age for several reasons, including poorer egg quality, fewer ovarian follicles and the gradual stiffening of ovarian tissue.
Existing fertility treatments, including hormone therapy and in vitro fertilisation, mainly address hormonal imbalances or help eggs mature or become fertilised.
Scientists are now examining whether changing the physical structure of the ovaries could provide another route for future fertility treatments.
Stuart A. Cook, of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Programme at Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, published an accompanying commentary on the research.
Researchers led by Shixuan Wang at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, collected healthy ovarian tissue from younger, middle-aged and older women.
They also examined samples from patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, known as PCOS, premature ovarian insufficiency, or POI, and endometriosis.
PCOS is a hormonal condition that can disrupt ovulation. POI occurs when the ovaries stop working normally before the age of 40, while endometriosis causes tissue similar to the womb lining to grow elsewhere in the body.
Tests of protein levels and gene activity found higher levels of the inflammatory protein interleukin-11, or IL-11, in ageing and diseased ovaries.
In laboratory experiments, the researchers exposed ovarian fibroblasts to IL-11. Fibroblasts are cells that produce connective tissue.
The protein caused the cells to produce excess collagen, a structural material that can build up during scarring and make tissue stiffer.
The researchers then genetically modified mice so they could not respond to IL-11. The animals developed less ovarian stiffening and maintained better ovarian function as they aged.
Similar results were seen in mouse models of PCOS and POI caused by chemotherapy.
In the final part of the experiment, older mice and rats were injected with a nanoparticle treatment containing small interfering RNA, or siRNA, designed to switch off IL-11.
The treatment made the animals’ ovaries less stiff and improved fertility.
Pregnancy rates among older mice rose from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, while average litter sizes also increased.
More rats treated with the therapy became pregnant and produced larger litters.
The approach remains highly speculative and will require considerably more research before its safety or effectiveness in women can be established.
However, the researchers said blocking the inflammatory pathway could eventually form the basis of new fertility treatments.
They said: “We propose that anti-IL-11 therapy represents a promising translational strategy for delaying ovarian ageing.”
W Group has opened applications for W Accelerate with Merck KGaA and M Ventures, inviting reproductive and maternal health startups, scaleups and spinouts to pitch for direct access to global pharma partnership and strategic investment.
Selected companies will pitch on 5th October, competing for the chance to accelerate their growth through commercial partnerships, investment, or both.
This is the third time Merck KGaA, a global leader in reproductive health, has partnered with W Group on the programme, which exists to close the innovation and investment gap in women’s health by connecting the sector’s most promising startups directly with the corporates and investors positioned to scale them.
What Merck KGaA and M Ventures are looking for
This year’s call is focused on breakthrough solutions in female infertility, fertility preservation, adenomyosis, endometriosis, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), ovarian insufficiency, preeclampsia and pregnancy comorbidities.
New for this round, applicants choose between three pathways depending on what they need from the programme:
- The Partnership Lane, for companies seeking commercial collaborations and strategic relationships
- The Investment Lane, for founders looking to connect with investors and secure funding to scale
- The Dual Lane, for innovators pursuing both partnership and investment opportunities
How the Accelerate event works
Selected companies get a 1:1 pitch practice session ahead of time, then a private 30-minute session with Merck KGaA and M Ventures leadership on the day itself, small-group sessions with regulatory and investment strategy experts, an “Ask Merck Anything” roundtable, and a VIP networking reception.
Key dates
- Open call launches: 8th July
- Open call closes: 2nd September
- Notification of successful companies: 11th September
- Pitch day: 5th October
Applications are open now at wplatform.typeform.com/to/KGzviBQM.
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