Newcastle University

Research Interests:

• Synthesis of magnetic glass-ceramics for treatment of cancer (by coprecipitation, traditional melting and sintering) and their characterisation
• Synthesis (traditional melting, sol-gel) and characterisation of bioactive and biocompatible glasses and glass-ceramics for biomedical applications
• Study of the sintering and crystallisation processes in ceramics/glass-ceramics
• Synthesis and characterisation of glass-ceramic/polymer composites
• Synthesis and characterisation of 3D macroporous bioactive, biocompatible and/or bioresorbable glass-ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
• Surface functionalisation of glasses/glass-ceramics/scaffolds
• Drug delivery systems

• Vargas GE, Vera-Mesones R, Bretcanu O, Porto-López JM, Boccaccini AR, Gorustovich AA. Biocompatibility and bone mineralization potential of 45S5 Bioglass®-derived glass–ceramic scaffolds in chick embryos. Acta Biomaterialia 2009, 5(1), 374-380.
• Vernè E, Miola M, Ferraris S, Bianchi CL, Naldoni A, Maina G, Bretcanu O. Surface activation of a ferrimagnetic glass-ceramic for antineoplastic drugs grafting. Advanced Engineering Materials 2010, 12(7), B309-B319.
• Verne E, Bretcanu O, Balagna C, Bianchi CL, Cannas M, Gatti S, Vitale-Brovarone C. Early stage reactivity and in vitro behavior of silica-based bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine 2009, 20(1), 75-87.
• Bretcanu O, Misra SK, Mohammad-Yunos D, Boccaccini AR, Roy I, Kowalczyk T, Blonski S, Kowalewski TA. Electrospun Nanofibrous Biodegradable Polyester Coatings on Bioglass^®-Based Glass-Ceramics for Tissue Engineering. Materials Chemistry and Physics 2009, 118(2-3), 420-426.
• Vitale-Brovarone C, Baino F, Bretcanu O, Vernè E. Foam-like scaffolds for bone tissue engineering based on a novel couple of silicate-phosphate specular glasses: synthesis and properties. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine 2009, 20(11), 2197–2205.
• Bretcanu O, Misra S, Roy I, Renghini C, Fior F. In vitro biocompatibility of 45S5 Bioglass(r)-derived glass-ceramic scaffolds coated with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine 2009, 3(2), 139-148.
• Allia P, Bretcanu O, Vernè E, Celegato F, Coisson M, Tiberto P, Vinai F, Spizzo F, Tamisari M. Magnetotransport properties of a percolating network of magnetite crystals embedded in a glass-ceramic matrix. Journal of Applied Physics 2009, 105(8), 083911.
• Zawadzak E, Bil M, Ryszkowska J, Nazhat SN, Cho J, Bretcanu O, Roether JA, Boccaccini AR. Polyurethane foams electrophoretically coated with carbon nanotubes for tissue engineering scaffolds. Biomedical Materials 2009, 4(1), 015008.
• Bretcanu O, Chatzistavrou X, Conradt R, Thompson I, Boccaccini AR. Sintering and crystallisation of 45S5 Bioglass® powder. Journal of European Ceramic Society 2009, 29(16), 3299-3306.
• Bretcanu O, Samaille C, Boccaccini AR. Simple methods to fabricate Bioglass^®-derived glass–ceramic scaffolds exhibiting porosity gradient. Journal of Materials Science 2008, 43(12), 4127-4134.