Molecular Recognition

In the last few years the problem of understanding molecular and biological recognition has become an importat research field of our laboratory. Presently, we are investigating improved conditions of micropatterning and molecular imprinting, by analyzing the thermodynamics of such polymer systems.

We have developed new methods of preparation of gels with unique molecular recognition characteristics by using configurational biomimetic imprinting methods. For example, our group has created a biological sensor for glucose in research that ultimately may help to design "intelligent drug delivery" devices that could be implanted in the body to administer medications such as insulin. We have formed a mesh-like "biomimetic" gel containing glucose molecules and then used a slightly acidic chemical to remove the glucose, leaving behind spaces where the glucose used to be. If placed in blood, glucose diffuses into the gel and binds to the empty spaces. Thus, the gel is "imprinted" for glucose. We have shown that similar materials can be used in future medical devices to sense the presence of glucose, signaling an action to release insulin or other medications for diabetics. The approach attempts to mimic how some molecules attach to "binding sites" on other molecules. Such binding is critical to various biological processes. Each binding site possesses the proper shape and other characteristics for it to bind to a specific molecule. An important aspect of the research is that the gels are prepared with benign manufacturing processes.

Related publications

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Molecularly Imprinted Hydrogels with Polyfunctional Methacrylates,” in “Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Science and Technology,” K.R. Brain and C.J. Alexander, eds., 36, STS Publishing, Cardiff, 2000.

M.E. Byrne, K. Park and N.A. Peppas, “Non-Covalent Molecular Imprinting of Glucose: Recognition in Aqueous Media,” in “Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Science and Technology,” K.R. Brain and C.J. Alexander, eds., 111, STS Publishing, Cardiff, 2000.

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Molecular Imprinting in Biological Systems,” STP Pharma, 10, 261-267 (2000).

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Molecularly Imprinted Polyfunctional Methacrylates for Drug Delivery Applications,” Proceed. Intern. Pharm. Technol. Symp., 10, 59-60 (2000).

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Patterning and Molecular Imprinting with Polyfunctional Methacrylates,” Trans. World Biomat. Congress, 6, 782 (2000).

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Recognition Mechanisms of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers: Smart Systems for Drug Delivery,” AAPS Pharm. Sci., S-2401 (2000).

M.E. Byrne, K. Park and N.A. Peppas, “Non-covalent Molecular Imprinting of Glucose in Polar Protic Media,” AAPS Pharm. Sci., S-2404 (2000).

P. Bures, Y. Huang, E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Surface Modifications and Molecular Imprinting of Polymers in Medical and Pharmaceutical Applications,” J. Contr. Rel., 72, 25-33 (2001). [PDF Reprint]

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Macroscopic and Microscopic Investigations of 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate Based Molecularly Imprinted Networks,” Polym. Prepr., 42(2), 111-112 (2001).

N.A. Peppas, M. Byrne, E. Oral and D. Henthorn, “UV-Free Radical Polymerizations for Micropatterning and Microimprinting of Poly(ethylene glycol)-Containing Films,” Proceed. Intern. Symp. Polym. Advanced Techn., 6, 44 (2001).

M. Byrne, K. Park and N.A. Peppas, “Molecular Imprinting within Hydrogels,” Adv. Drug Deliv. Revs., 54, 149-161 (2002). [PDF Reprint]

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Molecular Imprinting with Small Molecules: Effects on Polymerization, Material and Imprinting Properties,” Polym. Prepr., 43(2), 393-394 (2002).

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Template-sensitive Polymers for Biomimetic Applications,” Trans. Soc. Biomater., 28, 74, (2002).

M.E. Byrne, J.Z. Hilt, R. Bashir, K. Park and N.A. Peppas, “Biomimetic Materials for Selective Recognition and Microsensing of Biologically Significant Molecules,” Trans. Soc. Biomater., 28, 78 (2002).

N.A. Peppas, “Intelligent Biomaterials in Protein Delivery, Molecular Imprinting and Micropatterning,” Proceed. Control. Rel. Society, 29 (2002).

M.E. Byrne, K. Park, and N.A. Peppas, “Biomimetic Materials for Selective Recognition of Biomolecules,” in J. McKittrick, J. Aizenberg, J.M.M. Kittrick, C.A. Orme, P. Vekilov, eds., “Biological and Biomimetic Materials – Properties to Function,” 193-199, Vol. 724, MRS, Pittsburgh, PA, 2002.

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Recognition-based Hydrogel Networks as Intelligent Drug Delivery Systems,” Proceed. Intern. Pharm. Technol. Symp., 11, 67-68 (2002).

M.E. Byrne, E. Oral, J.Z. Hilt and N.A. Peppas, “Networks for Recognition of Biomolecules: Molecular Imprinting and Micropatterning Poly(ethylene glycol)-Containing Films,” Polym. Adv. Technol., 13, 798-816 (2002).

N. Bergmann and N.A. Peppas, “Protein-Imprinted Polymeric Microparticles for Tissue Engineering Applications,” Trans. Soc. Biomater., 29, 457 (2003).

N.A. Peppas and M.E. Byrne, “New Biomaterials for Intelligent Biosensing, Recognitive Drug Delivery and Therapeutics”, Bull. Gattefossé, 96, 23-35 (2003).

M.E. Byrne, J.Z. Hilt, N.A. Peppas “Novel Biomimetic Polymer Networks: Development and Application as Selective Recognition Elements for Biomolecules at the Micro/Nano-scale”, in AIChE Proceedings, 2003.

R. Langer and N.A. Peppas, “Advances in Biomaterials, Drug Delivery, and Bionanotechnology”, AIChE J., 49, 2990-3006 (2003). [PDF Reprint]

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Responsive and Recognitive Hydrogels Using Star Polymers,” J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 68A, 439-447 (2004). [PDF Reprint]

N. Bergmann and N.A. Peppas, “Biomimetic Imprinted Microparticles for the Recognition and Capture of Serum Proteins,” Trans. Soc. Biomater., 30, 62-63 (2005).

E. H. Lauten and N. A. Peppas, “Configurational Biomimetic Imprinting of Angiotensin II for Novel Drug Delivery Systems”, in “Microencapsulation”, P. Colombo, ed., 43-44, Tefarco, Parma, 2005.

N. M. Bergmann, E. H. Lauten and N. A. Peppas, “Intelligent Biomaterials for Drug Delivery: Combining Molecular Recognition with Drug Delivery”, Drug Deliv: Systems & Sci., 4, 35-40 (2005). [PDF Reprint]

U. G. Spizzirri and N. A. Peppas, “Structural Analysis and Diffusional Behavior of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Networks for Cholesterol Recognition”, Chem. Mater., 17, 6719-6727 (2005). [PDF Reprint]

H. Lauten, J. Ng, and N.A. Peppas, “Selective Recognition of Angiotensin II for Novel Drug Delivery Systems”, Proceed. Europ. Symp. Controlled Drug Deliv., 9, (2006). [PDF Reprint]

N.A. Peppas and J.Z. Hilt, “Intelligent Polymeric Networks in Biomolecular Sensing”, in R. Bashir and S. Wereley, eds., Handbook of BioMEMs and Biomedical Nanotechnology”, 117-131, Klouwer, Amsterdam, 2006. [PDF Reprint]

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Hydrophilic Molecularly Imprinted PHEMA-Polymers”, J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 78A, 205-210 (2006). [PDF Reprint]

J. Z. Hilt, M. E. Byrne and N. A. Peppas, “Microfabrication of Intelligent Biomimetic Networks for Recognition of D-Glucose”, Chem. Mater. 18, 5869-5875 (2006). [PDF Reprint]

E.H. Lauten and N.A. Peppas, “Selective Recognition of Angiotensin II”, in Advances in Medical Engineering, Drug Delivery Systems and Therapeutic Systems, N.A. Peppas, A.S. Hoffman, T. Kanamori and K. Tojo, eds., 163-166, AIChE, New York, NY, 2006.

D. Henthorn, Y. Zheng and N.A. Peppas, “Synthetic ligand-receptor Interactions in Delivery Systems” in N.A. Peppas, J.Z. Hilt and J.B. Thomas, eds, Nanotechnology in Therapeutics: Current Technology and Applications, Horizon Press, Norfolk, UK, 2007.

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