Cortisol and testosterone are essential hormones involved in stress, aggression, and competitive behavior. Recent studies suggest that cortisol may influence testosterone, but the relationship between the two remains unclear. Measuring these hormones using analytical techniques is expensive and requires specialized equipment, making quantification difficult. Emerging biosensors are a promising alternative, but they require selective receptors. In this study, peptide‐based receptors for testosterone and cortisol were designed with a structure‐based approach. Molecular modeling was used to test their selectivity and affinity, with benzyl modifications to cortisol’s hydroxyl group, enhancing its specificity. The 88A40P receptor showed high affinity (−8.5 kcal/mol) for esterified cortisol, while the BTestosterone receptor demonstrated good affinity (−7.5 kcal/mol) for testosterone. Both receptors maintained good selectivity even in the presence of interfering substances. This in silico method offers a stable and scalable alternative to antibody‐based receptors, thereby advancing biosensor development for hormone detection.
Fuentes et al. (Thu,) studied this question.