In the post-pandemic era, point-of-care (POC) diagnosis of diseases is an important research frontier. Modern portable electrochemical (bio)sensors enable the design of POC diagnostics for the identification of diseases and regular healthcare monitoring. Herein, we present a critical review of the electrochemical creatinine (bio)sensors. These sensors either make use of biological receptors such as enzymes or employ synthetic responsive materials, which provide a sensitive interface for creatinine-specific interactions. The characteristics of different receptors and electrochemical devices are discussed, along with their limitations. The major challenges in the development of affordable and deliverable creatinine diagnostics and the drawbacks of enzymatic and enzymeless electrochemical biosensors are elaborated, especially considering their analytical performance parameters. These revolutionary devices have potential biomedical applications ranging from early POC diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other kidney-related illnesses to routine monitoring of creatinine in elderly and at-risk humans.
Keywords: biosensors; creatinine; diagnostics; kidney failure; point-of-care.