Pandemic-Responsive Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Electrochemical Sensor for Mpox Detection

In 2022, a global Mpox outbreak occurred, and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Although the outbreak was quickly constrained, new cases of infection associated with mutated virions continue to be documented worldwide. In recent global health crises, there is an urgent need to develop rapid, cost-effective diagnostic assays. While nucleic acid assays (e.g., PCR and CRISPR-based methods) represent the current gold standard for Mpox virus (MPXV) detection, point-of-care (POC) assays for Mpox remain limited. Here, we developed a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based MPXV sensor targeting A29L, a surface protein involved in host cell binding. The MIP sensor exhibits a remarkable detection limit of 7.7 pg/mL (0.54 pM). Moreover, we demonstrated that the MIP sensor detected A29L in artificial interstitial fluid (AIF) with a detection limit of 12.4 pg/mL (0.86 pM), supporting sensitive detection in a lesion-relevant model matrix. The MIP sensor preferentially responded to A29L over MPXV B6R, vaccinia virus A27L, and biointerferents and retained its response after 30 days. The results indicate that the MIP-based MPXV sensor has strong potential for clinical Mpox detection and could serve as a valuable diagnostic platform in future pandemics.