Polydopamine-Based Molecular Imprinting Polymer Electrochemical Sensor for Neopterin Detection

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Neopterin is a biomarker for pro-inflammatory immune activity, with elevated levels in various diseases like infections, autoimmune disorders, and cancer.
• Current detection methods for neopterin face challenges due to its low concentration (up to 10 nM in healthy serum) and limited solubility.
• Accurate neopterin measurement is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring inflammatory conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for neopterin detection.
• To utilize polydopamine molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for enhanced neopterin sensing capabilities.
• To evaluate the performance of the developed sensor across a wide concentration range.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an electrochemical sensor using a glassy carbon electrode modified with electro-polymerized polydopamine MIPs.
• Preparation of both imprinted (with neopterin template) and non-imprinted polymer films for comparison.
• Monitoring rebinding and template removal using cyclic voltammetry with ferricyanide as a redox probe.

Main Results:

• The MIP-based sensor demonstrated a concentration-dependent response to neopterin from 1.2 nM to 1.2 mM.
• A rapid increase in signal was observed at low neopterin concentrations (up to 120 nM), indicating high sensitivity.
• The sensor showed the highest response with increased neopterin content in the imprinted films, confirming effective binding site availability.

Conclusions:

• A sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for neopterin was successfully developed using polydopamine MIPs.
• The sensor exhibits excellent performance for detecting neopterin, even at low physiological concentrations.
• This novel sensor holds potential for improved diagnostics and monitoring of inflammatory and immune-related diseases.