Selective binding of carcinoembryonic antigen using imprinted polymeric hydrogels

A poly(allylamine hydrochloride) carcinoembryonic antigen-imprinted hydrogel was synthesized using a water-soluble crosslinker, ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, to investigate its viability for protein recognition. The imprinting factor of the imprinted hydrogel toward carcinoembryonic antigen was found to be ∼5, while the imprinting factor of the imprinted hydrogel toward α-fetoprotein was determined to be ∼2, suggesting selectivity and specificity toward the template protein. This work lays the foundation for the development of a novel line of imprinted hydrogel systems capable of protein recognition for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 2008