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 approximately 5, while the imprinting factor of the imprinted hydrogel toward alpha-fetoprotein was determined to be approximately 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.