Construction of a dual signal recognition electrochemical electrode for detection of vancomycin concentration in plasma

Abstract

This study addresses the urgent clinical need for rapid and precise adjustment of antibiotic blood drug concentrations by proposing a novel vancomycin detection strategy based on the synergistic molecularly imprinted polymer-peptide dual recognition mechanism. By integrating the preassembled specific cavities of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with the bioaffinity sites of a short peptide sequence, we constructed an electrochemical electrode with dual-recognition functionality, effectively overcoming the limitations of poor selectivity in traditional single-recognition systems under complex matrix conditions. Experimental results demonstrated that the dual-recognition electrode achieved dual-dimensional improvements in both sensitivity and selectivity for vancomycin. Through systematic optimization of critical parameters such as template molecule/peptide concentration, electropolymerization cycles, and interface assembly sequence, the electrode exhibited an ultralow detection limit of 0.88 µg mL⁻¹ (signal-to-noise ratio, S/N = 3) in plasma samples. Clinical sample analysis further confirmed strong consistency with the EMIT®2000 Vancomycin Assay, highlighting the remarkable advantage of the dual-recognition strategy in accurately capturing target molecules. This method provides a solution with high sensitivity, high anti-interference capability, and clinical applicability for the dynamic monitoring of antibiotic therapeutic windows.