Design of a MIP-based electrochemical sensor for sensitive and selective detection of anti-cancer drug ibrutinib in pharmaceutical dosage forms and biological fluids

Ibrutinib (IBR) is a Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) inhibitor that is being used to treat refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Detecting lower levels of IBR in humans could significantly contribute to different areas of research, such as drug delivery. In this work, an electrochemical sensor was designed using a molecularly imprinted polymer on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the selective and sensitive determination of IBR. A polymeric film was obtained on the GCE surface by photopolymerization (PP) method using template molecule IBR, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and 4-aminobenzoic acid (4-ABA). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to examine the sensor's morphological and electrochemical characteristics. In addition, the parameters affecting the MIP were optimized. For the first time, a MIP-based electrochemical sensor was designed to determine IBR. Low limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values of 6.13 × 10⁻¹⁴ and 2.04 × 10⁻¹³ M were obtained, respectively. The developed sensor detected IBR at least 3 times more selectively than similar substances (pemetrexed (PEM), tofacitinib (TOF), and ruxolitinib (RUX)). IBR detection was investigated in biological samples and pharmaceutical dosage forms. Furthermore, the sensor successfully distinguished IBR from compounds with similar structures, demonstrating great selectivity.