Fluorescent molecularly imprinted nanogels for the detection of anticancer drugs in human plasma

Abstract

Several fluorescent molecularly imprinted nanogels for the detection of the anticancer drug sunitinib were synthesized and characterized. A selection of functional monomers based on different aminoacids and coumarin allowed isolation of polymers with very good rebinding properties and sensitivities. The direct detection of sunitinib in human plasma was successfully demonstrated by fluorescence quenching of the coumarin-based nanogels. The plasma sample simply diluted in DMSO allowed the recovery of various amounts of sunitib, as determined by an averaged calibration curve. The LOD was 400nM, with within-run variability <9%, day to day variability <5%, and good accuracy in the recovery of sunitinib from spiked samples.

Monitoring of Irinotecan in Human Plasma: Sensitive Fluorescent Nanogels by Molecular Imprinting

“…The detailed procedures to obtain methyl 2-acrylamido-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoate (N-acryloyl L-tyrosine methyl ester, 3b and (S)-methyl 2-acrylamido-3-(1H-indol- 3-yl)propanoate (N-acryloyl L-tryptophan methyl ester, 4b have been described in our previuos paper. 16…”

“…The molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared following the procedure described in our recent paper. 16 A pre-polymerization complex was prepared stirring a solution of the template molecule and the functional monomer in DMSO under anhydrous conditions, then the cross-linker and radical initiator AIBN were added to the mixture. After oxygen removal from the solution, radical polymerization was initiated by heating up to 70 °C for 4 days.…”

“…A similar bimodal behaviour have been observed by us also in our previous work on coumarinbased MIP for sunitinib. 16 Nevertheless, the dynamic range investigated is within the therapeutic range of irinotecan, which spans between 17 nM and 17 μM.…”

“…Three of these monomers (4-vynilpyridine and the fluorescent aminoacidic derivatives N-acryloyl L-tyrosine methyl ester and N-acryloylL-tryptophan methyl ester) have been used by us in our previous work focused on the development of a MIP sensor for the detection of the anticancer agent sunitinib in human plasma. 16 The fourth functional monomer, a naphtalimide derivative, is a fluorescent molecule and its synthesis is described in this work.…”

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) as Theranostic Systems for Sunitinib Controlled Release and Self-Monitoring in Cancer Therapy

“…Molecular Imprinting is a very promising and powerful technology for the synthesis of crosslinked polymeric matrices, which is able to identify in a specific and selective way a target compound, called a template [3][4][5]. This effective and versatile technology involves the introduction of the template during the polymerization process and its removal after the reaction has taken place.…”