Molecularly Imprinted Polymers as Antibody Alternatives in Sorbent Immunoassays

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), a material which owns artificially-created binding sites coupled with several distinct advantages such as high chemical, mechanical and thermal stability, robust, easy preparation, low cost and reusable. MIP as mimic in pseudo-immunoassays have attracted considerable attention over the last few years. The advances in molecularly imprinted sorbent immunoassays (MIAs) are reviewed from radioligand immunoassays to non-radioligand immunoassays, and emphasize on the promotion which homogeneous immunoassay systems and new synthesis methods bring. It is shown that the perceived disadvantages of MIP can be ignored in MIAs. The existing problems and prospects of MIAs are also described.