Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Based Sensors for Medical Applications

Abstract

Sensors have been extensively used owing to multiple advantages, including exceptional sensing performance, user-friendly operation, fast response, high sensitivity and specificity, portability, and real-time analysis. In recent years, efforts in sensor realm have expanded promptly, and it has already presented a broad range of applications in the fields of medical, pharmaceutical and environmental applications, food safety, and homeland security. In particular, molecularly imprinted polymer based sensors have created a fascinating horizon for surface modification techniques by forming specific recognition cavities for template molecules in the polymeric matrix. This method ensures a broad range of versatility to imprint a variety of biomolecules with different size, three dimensional structure, physical and chemical features. In contrast to complex and time-consuming laboratory surface modification methods, molecular imprinting offers a rapid, sensitive, inexpensive, easy-to-use, and highly selective approaches for sensing, and especially for the applications of diagnosis, screening, and theranostics. Due to its physical and chemical robustness, high stability, low-cost, and reusability features, molecularly imprinted polymer based sensors have become very attractive modalities for such applications with a sensitivity of minute structural changes in the structure of biomolecules. This review aims at discussing the principle of molecular imprinting method, the integration of molecularly imprinted polymers with sensing tools, the recent advances and strategies in molecular imprinting methodologies, their applications in medical, and future outlook on this concept.

Virus detection using nanosensors

“…They have a multipurpose detection scale and sense various kinds of biomolecules from different specimens [54,55]. Piezoelectric nanosensors measure mass change and viscoelasticity by recording frequency and modifying a quartz crystal resonator [56,57]. The sensing needs isolation equipment that minimizes any hindrance effects because of the high sensitivity to environmental circumstances.…”

Perspectives of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Drug Delivery Systems in Cancer Therapy

“…The key to achieving well-defined imprinted cavities relies on choosing the right monomers able to form a template-functional monomer complex that will "lock in place" the template molecule throughout the polymerization process [32], and to provide an optimal rigidity of the polymeric matrix. In analytical applications (separation [33][34][35][36][37] and sensing [38][39][40][41][42]), the MIPs are expectedly highly crosslinked, the rigid networks retaining the sterical and chemical complementarity of the imprinted cavities towards the template, in order to later ensure the specific rebinding of the template molecule. In drug delivery, however, other features that usually require a lower degree of cross-linking, become primordial, e.g., the controlled diffusion of drug template out of the polymer matrix, or the required morphological changes of the polymer (e.g., swelling) in response to external or internal stimuli.…”

Biomimetic Nanoparticles Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensors for Histamine Detection in Foods

“…Because these materials have a high surface area and most of the imprinted sites are on the surface. A higher adsorption rate is achieved with molecularly imprinted nanoparticles and the template molecule is easily removed . Recently fast and low‐cost sensing of histamine has been attracted the interest of some fields such as medical diagnostics, environmental, and food.…”