Molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor for IL-6 detection with senescence cell models

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that plays a key role in driving proinflammatory responses in a wide range of acute, chronic, and infectious diseases. Therefore, it is of practical importance to monitor the IL-6 level of individuals in disease diagnosis and healthcare. Currently, there is an urgent need for developing rapid, cost-effective diagnostic and prognostic sensing systems. Herein, we developed a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based electrochemical sensor for IL-6 detection. The results showed that the MIP sensor demonstrated high sensitivity in the trace of IL-6 concentration, with a limit of detection of 31.3 fM and a wide dynamic range of 100 fg/mL to 1 μg/mL. Moreover, the MIP sensors are highly selective for IL-6, compared to other inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin-1β, transforming growth factor-β3, and tumor necrosis factor-α) and various interfering biomolecules (glucose, human serum albumin, fibrinogen, and lactic acid). We also confirmed that the MIP sensors maintained robust stability over three weeks without appreciable deterioration. The performance of the MIP sensors was validated using a lipopolysaccharide-induced cellular senescence model, emphasizing its potential as a point-of-care tool for IL-6 monitoring. The results suggest that our MIP-based IL-6 sensor could serve as an effective point-of-care tool in quantifying age-related physiological changes and monitoring low-grade systemic inflammation.