Monitoring chemotherapeutic drug concentrations directly at the tumor site remains a critical unmet need in oncology, as conventional pharmacokinetic assessments based on systemic circulation fail to capture the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of drug distribution within solid tumors. Here, we report a bioresorbable, multiparametric optical sensor designed for the in situ detection of the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin. The sensor integrates a nanostructured porous silica scaffold with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) synthetic receptor that provides shape- and chemistry-selective recognition of doxorubicin molecules. Molecular binding events are transduced through two orthogonal optical signals: i) shifts in effective optical thickness and ii) fluorescence intensity changes, enabling accurate and self-validating quantification across clinically relevant concentration ranges. The sensor operates reliably in serum with a limit of detection as low as 0.1 µg/mL, and exhibits reversible performance with minimal signal drift (<15.3%) over 12 weeks -consistent with standard chemotherapy regimens. In vivo implantation studies in mice confirm biodegradation and biocompatibility, with no evidence of local or systemic toxicity. This platform introduces a versatile strategy for multiparametric, bioresorbable chemical sensing using MIP synthetic receptors, establishing a foundation for future implantable diagnostics in precision chemotherapy.
Corsi et al. (Tue,) studied this question.