A molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor based on surface imprinted polymerization and boric acid affinity for selective and sensitive detection of P-glycoproteins

In this study, a molecular imprinted electrochemical sensor based on surface imprinting and boric acid affinity was prepared for the selective and sensitive detection of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) under physiological conditions. Several polymerization parameters were systematically investigated. Four electrochemical methods were used to characterize the sensors. It was proved that the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was well modified by molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), and the electrochemical detection results were consistent with the theory. Methodological verification also showed that there were different linear relationships in the range of 1.0E-10–1.0E-1 μg/mL and 0.5–10 μg/mL with LOD = 2.233E-11 μg/mL and LOQ = 7.444E-11 μg/mL. The excellent selectivity and specificity of the sensor were demonstrated and the sensor could be stored in 1X PBS (0.01 M) at 4 °C for one week. Repeatability and intermediate precision were measured, and the RSD remained below 5%. In addition, the sensor could be reused up to three times without affecting the results of the measurements. The results of application showed that the sensor had a more accurate response value in 1% of plasma matrix. Compared with the detection results of ELISA kit method, the sensor had the advantages of wider detection range, shorter detection time, higher accuracy, simple operation and low cost, which indicated that the sensor had a certain practicability and clinical translational application capability. This study also provided a new idea and method for the detection of other high molecular weight biomarkers in complex biological samples.