Lactate is generated in the body as a byproduct during normal metabolism and exercise. While considered a useless waste product for a long time, recent studies have shown that lactate can be an indicator for cancer and various other diseases. In light of this, monitoring lactate levels can help us gain a better understanding of the energy metabolism process. However, current detection methods provide recordings of bulk lactate levels outside the cell only and not enough temporal resolution to detect real-time changes in these levels. This makes it particularly challenging to determine lactate levels in the brain where their concentrations are lower than other metabolites.
Live monitoring of brain metabolism with fluorescence
Lactate is generated in the body as a byproduct during normal metabolism and exercise. While considered a useless waste product for a long time, recent studies have shown that lactate can be an indicator for cancer and various other diseases. In light of this, monitoring lactate levels can help us gain a better understanding of the energy metabolism process. However, current detection methods provide recordings of bulk lactate levels outside the cell only and not enough temporal resolution to detect real-time changes in these levels. This makes it particularly challenging to determine lactate levels in the brain where their concentrations are lower than other metabolites.