Does the protein corona take over the selectivity of molecularly imprinted nanoparticles? The biological challenges to recognition
“Plastic antibodies” are nano-sized biomimetics prepared by the molecular imprinting technology, which have the robustness of polymers, but specificity and selectivity alike natural receptors making them ideal for analytical uses. The current challenge is to translate plastic antibodies to in vivo applications for diagnosis, drug delivery, theranostic, therefore it is crucial to evaluate the effect of the biological sample complexity on the selectivity and the formation of protein corona (PCs), which ultimately dictate the fate of circulating nanoparticles.