ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal
This is a page describing data taken during an experiment at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. Information about the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source can be found at https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk.
Encapsulation of ultra-hydrophobic sex hormones with Pluronics for medical applications
Abstract: U-RHYTHM, www.u-rhythm.co.uk, is a groundbreaking wearable diagnostic clinical research device at the Bristol Medical School that uses micro-dialysis to sample hormones directly from human interstitial fluid at closely-space intervals throughout the day and night, monitoring the dynamics of hundreds of metabolites and advancing the field of endocrinology. However, ultra-hydrophobic sex hormones currently cannot be detected due to their low concentrations and their adsorption to the device tubing. Our trial experiments show that pre-coating the tubing with FDA-approved Pluronics F127 (a PEO-PPO-PEO copolymer) led to significant reduction in hormone adsorption, attributed to cooperative action of encapsulation of ultra-hydrophobic sex hormones by F127 micelles and formation of F127 surface layer on the tubing. Here, we propose a first comprehensive SANS study of self-assembly and encapsulation of the hormones with Pluronics in this context, varying hormone molecular architecture, concentration, and solution temperature, to provide critical complementary nano-structural evidence underpinning F127-sex hormone interaction, ultimately achieving enhanced clinical capacity of the U-RHYTHM technology.
Principal Investigator: Professor Wuge Briscoe
Experimenter: Miss Jia He
Experimenter: Mr Bozhidar Zhelev
Experimenter: Miss Sofia Rogers Ruiz
Experimenter: Mr Matteo Fois
Experimenter: Miss Holly Stockdale
Local Contact: Dr Leide Cavalcanti
Experimenter: Miss Elena Venturelli
Experimenter: Dr Thomas UPTON
Experimenter: Professor Stafford Lightman
Experimenter: Miss Hongye Li
Experimenter: Mr Guangzhen Wang
DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2510175
ISIS Experiment Number: RB2510175
| Part DOI | Instrument | Public release date | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2510175-1 | ZOOM | 08 March 2029 | Download |
Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation
The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research
publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher],
[doi]
For Example:
Professor Wuge Briscoe et al; (2026): Encapsulation of ultra-hydrophobic sex hormones with Pluronics for medical applications, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2510175
Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.
