Molecularly imprinted polymers as receptor mimics for selective cell recognition

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have now earned the reputation as "artificial receptors" or "plastic antibodies". As the mimics of natural receptors, MIPs are reminiscent of some basic functions of natural receptors in living systems, e.g., the ability to interact with or recognize cells. The latest decade has witnessed a great advance in MIPs from simple molecular extraction to efficient cell recognition, implying that MIP-based synthetic...