Molecularly imprinted polymers for the recognition of proteins: the state of the art

Molecular imprinting has proved to be an effective technique for the creation of recognition sites on a polymer scaffold. Protein imprinting has been a focus for many chemists working in the area of molecular recognition, since the creation of synthetic polymers that can specifically recognise proteins is a very challenging but potentially extremely rewarding objective. It is expected that molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with specificity for proteins will find application in medicine, diagnostics, proteomics, environmental analysis, sensors and drug delivery. In this review, the authors provide an overview of the progress achieved in the decade between 1994 and 2005, with respect to the challenging area of MIPs for protein recognition. The discussion furnishes a comparative analysis of different approaches developed, underlining their relative advantages and disadvantages and highlighting trends and possible future directions.