
A label-free assay is described to monitor the interaction of abciximab, a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist (ReoPro), with platelets bound to a fibrinogen-functionalised electrode surface. Firstly, fibrinogen is deposited in a defined pattern onto a gold electrode using microcontact printing, and then platelets from whole blood are captured on the patterned surface. Patterning influences the spreading of platelets, which is strikingly different to that observed on homogeneously coated surfaces. The drug–platelet interaction has been investigated using AC impedance on uniform and patterned fibrinogen-modified surfaces. The results demonstrate that patterned fibrinogen surfaces can provide deep insights into the interaction of abciximab with different platelet sub-populations. The key advantages of this approach are that it is rapid, label free and does not require pre-processing of patient blood samples.