Can stress be measured through a single drop of blood?

cf fa e fd ac a a

[T]he holy grail of stress diagnostics would be a reliable biomarker; a biological measuring stick that would sum up all the physiological and emotional changes caused by stress and plot them on a simple chart. But is this possible? Oxford Medistress, developers of the Leukocyte Coping Capacity (LCC) test, think so.  

The company, a spinout from Oxford University, say they have developed a simple test that, with just a drop of blood, can quantify your stress levels.

The LCC test involves mixing a drop of blood with a chemical called Phorbol Myristate Acetate (PMA). PMA stimulates white blood cells to produce oxygen free radical molecules, a process that is usually designed to fight off microbials. This free radical burst response is measured by the addition of a luminescent marker to the mix. Stressed out and tired blood cells aren’t as good at producing these free radicals, and so the relative luminescence goes down.

Medistress’s ultimate aim is to make the test into a medical device. But, [CEO Rubina Mian] says, “That takes numbers and money. There’s a way to go before it becomes a medical device.”

Read full, original post: A New Test Claims to Be Able to Measure Stress in a Drop of Blood

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}
screenshot at  pm

Are pesticide residues on food something to worry about?

In 1962, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring drew attention to pesticides and their possible dangers to humans, birds, mammals and the ...
glp menu logo outlined

Newsletter Subscription

* indicates required
Email Lists
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.