Molecularly imprinted polymers for the extraction of imiquimod from biological samples using a template analogue strategy

Abstract

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) against imiquimod, a highly potent immune response modifier used in the treatment of skin cancer, were synthesised using a template analogue strategy and were compared with imprints of the drug itself. An investigation of the complexation between the functional monomer and the template analogue revealed an association constant of 1376 AE 122 M À1 , significantly higher than previously reported values for similar systems. The binding characteristics of the synthesised imprinted polymers were evaluated and extremely strong binding for imiquimod was observed while imprinting factors as high as 17 were calculated. When applied as sorbents in solid-phase extraction of imiquimod from aqueous, urine and blood serum samples, clean extracts and recoveries up to 95% were achieved, and it is concluded that while imiquimod imprints exhibited higher capacity for the drug, template analogue imprints are more selective. The results obtained suggest potential applications of imiquimod imprints as sorbents in rapid extraction and monitoring of undesirable systemic release of the drug.

Relationship between Commonly Used Adsorption Isotherm Equations Impedes Isotherm Selection

“…It has often been observed, however, that one can fit different types of isotherm equations to the same experimental data with nearly equal success [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. In such case one may try to improve the measurement precision so that a clear distinction be possible.…”

Exploring the peptide retention mechanism in molecularly imprinted polymers

“…Among them, the application of MIP to the sample preparation is a promising research area in the field of analytical chemistry [3][4][5][6] . Many sample clean-up protocols have been developed for the extraction of small molecules from food, environmental and biological matrices [7][8][9][10][11][12] . The key behind the success of MIP employment in solid phase extraction (SPE) can be found in their robustness under extreme physical-chemical conditions and their time-and cost-effective synthesis.…”

Fatty Acid-Mimetic Micelles for Dual Delivery of Antigens and Imidazoquinoline Adjuvants

“…76 These results demonstrate the importance of acidic groups for solubilization of IMQ and motivate the design of micelles comprising both LMA and MAA in the core. Indeed, the loading efficiency of LMA75, LMA50, and LMA25 were revealed to be 0.51, 2.23, and 1.84 w/w%, respectively (Table 2).…”