NuCore members

Dr. Oana Bretcanu joined the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering of Newcastle University in November 2010 as a lecturer in Biomaterials/Bioengineering. She is involved in different research projects in the field of Biomaterials for Bone Tissue Engineering applications. Dr Bretcanu currently manages Optical Microscopy, Optical Profilometry, X-ray and Thermal Analysis for Advanced Ceramics laboratory equipment.

Qualifications:

       PhD: Magnetic biomaterials for hyperthermic treatment of cancer

       MSc(Hons): Chemical Engineering

Previous Positions:

       Research Associate at University Politecnico di Torino (Italy): 2008-2010

       Research Associate at Imperial College London: 2006-2007

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

Google Scholar Profile

Scopus Profile

Past Projects:

• Arthritis Research UK Tissue Engineering Centre (Project Leader: Prof Kenneth Dalgarno)   http://arthritistissueengineering.org.uk/
• RESTORATION: Resorbable Ceramic Biocomposites for Orthopaedic and Maxillofacial Applications (Project Leader: Prof Kenneth Dalgarno)  http://restoration-project.eu/
• DIGINOVA: Innovation for Digital Fabrication (Project Leader: Prof Kenneth Dalgarno)

Current Teaching:

• MEC 1002: Materials Science I (Module Leader)
• MEC 8023: Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering (Module Leader)
• MMB 8002: Current Research Trends in Musculoskeletal Disease
• MMB 8038: Bioscience Research Development and Enterprise
• MEC 3098: stage 3 projects
• MEC 8099: stage 4 projects
• MEC 8095: MSc projects

Visiting lecturer at:

• Politecnico di Torino (Turin, Italy); teaching Magnetic Materials in Medicine (module for PhD Students)
• Advanced Materials Research Centre, SIRIM Berhad (Malaysia); teaching Bioceramics scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

• Chacko Rajan S, Bretcanu O, Deehan DJ, Joyce TJ. Comparative retrieval analysis of contemporary mobile and fixed unicompartmental knee bearing designs. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials 2022, 127, 105076.
• Tatli Z, Bretcanu O, Caliskan F, Dalgarno K. Fabrication of porous apatite-wollastonite glass ceramics using a two steps sintering process. Materials Today Communications 2022, 30, 103216.
• Vukajlovic Dj, Bretcanu O, Novakovic K. Fabrication and characterisation of two types of bone composites made of chitosan-genipin hydrogel and Bioglass 45S5. Open Ceramics 2021, 8, 100174.
• Lee JK, Bretcanu O. Hyperthermia Treatment for Bone Cancers. Novel Approaches in Cancer Study 2021, 6(4), 626-628.
• Ozdemir F, Evans I, Rankin KS, Bretcanu O. Preliminary evaluation of the in vitro biocompatibility of magnetic bone cement composites. Open Ceramics 2021, 7, 100146.
• Vukajlovic D, Novakovic K, Bretcanu O. Self-crystallisation, an unexpected property of 45S5 Bioglass^®. Chemical Communications 2021, 57(99), 13558-13561.
• Rajan SC, Bretcanu O, Deehan D, Joyce T. Retrieval Analysis of Two Contemporary Total Knee Designs: Influence of Femoral Component Roughness and Type of Polyethylene. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials 2020, 104, 103620.
• Rajan SC, Bretcanu O, Deehan D, Joyce T. Surface Damage and Deviation Analysis of Retrieved Cross-Linked and Conventional Polyethylene Tibial Inserts. In: British Association for Surgery for the Knee, BASK 2020. 2020, Oxford, UK: Elsevier BV.
• Vukajlovic Dj, Parker J, Bretcanu O, Novakovic K. Bioglass scaffolds coated with chitosan-based hydrogels for tissue engineering applications. In: Chemical Engineering Day UK 2019. 2019, Edinburgh, UK: IChemE.
• Vukajlovic Dj, Parker J, Bretcanu O, Novakovic K. Chitosan based polymer/bioglass composites for tissue engineering applications. Materials Science and Engineering: C 2019, 96, 955-967.
• Vukajlovic Dj, Parker J, Bretcanu O, Novakovic K. Comparison between chitosan coated Bioglass 45S5 and apatite-wollastonite scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. In: You-CGMed-Workshop for Young Researchers in Ceramics and Glasses for Medical Applications. 2019, Madrid, Spain.
• Rajan SC, Bretcanu O, Weir DJ, Deehan DJ, Joyce TJ. First tribological assessment of retrieved Oxinium patellofemoral prostheses. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials 2019, 90, 665-672.
• Miola M, Pakzad Y, Banijamali S, Kargozar S, Vitale-Brovarone C, Yazdanpanah A, Bretcanu O, Ramedani A, Vernè E, Mozafari M. Glass-ceramics for cancer treatment: So close, or yet so far?. Acta Biomaterialia 2019, 83, 55-70.
• Kaur G, Kumar V, Baino F, Mauro JC, Pickrell G, Evans I, Bretcanu O. Mechanical properties of bioactive glasses, ceramics, glass-ceramics and composites: State-of-the-art review and future challenges. Materials Science and Engineering: C 2019, 104, 109895.
• Baino F, Ferraris S, Miola M, Verné E, Evans I, Bretcanu O. Multifunctional Bioactive Glasses and Glass-Ceramics: Beyond ‘Traditional’ Bioactivity. In: Gurbinder Kaur, ed. Biomedical, Therapeutic and Clinical Applications of Bioactive Glasses. Duxford: Woodhead Publishing, 2019, pp.35-67.
• Vukajlovic D, Bretcanu O, Parker J, Novakovic K. Fluorescence, mechanical and swelling properties of chitosan-genipin and chitosan-genipin-PVP hydrogels. In: 4th International Conference on Biomedical Polymers and Polymeric Biomaterials (ISBPPB 2018). 2018, Krakow, Poland: International Society for Biomedical Polymers and Polymeric Biomaterials.
• Tcacencu I, Rodrigues N, Alharbi N, Benning M, Toumpaniari S, Mancuso E, Marshall M, Bretcanu O, Birch M, McCaskie A, Dalgarno K. Osseointegration of porous apatite-wollastonite and poly(lactic acid) composite structures created using 3D printing techniques. Materials Science and Engineering: C 2018, 90, 1-7.
• Baba Ismail YM, Reinwald Y, Wimpenny I, Bretcanu O, Dalgarno K, El Haj AJ. The Influence of Scaffold Designs on Cell Seeding Efficiency in Establishing A Three-Dimensional Culture. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2018, 1082(1), 012072.
• Ozdemir F, Evans I, Bretcanu O. Calcium phosphate cements for medical applications. In: Gurbinder Kaur, ed. Clinical Applications of Biomaterials. New York, USA: Springer International Publishing, 2017, pp.91-121.
• Baba Ismail YM, Wimpenny I, Bretcanu O, Dalgarno K, El Haj AJ. Development of multi-substituted hydroxyapatite nanopowders as biomedical materials for bone tissue engineering applications. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A 2017, 105(6), 1775-1785.
• Bretcanu O, Miola M, Bianchi CL, Marangi I, Carbone R, Corazzari I, Cannas M, Verné E. In vitro biocompatibility of a ferrimagnetic glass-ceramic for hyperthermia application. Materials Science & Engineering: C 2017, 73, 778-787.
• Mancuso E, Bretcanu OA, Marshall M, Birch MA, McCaskie AW, Dalgarno KW. Novel bioglasses for bone tissue repair and regeneration: effect of glass design on sintering ability, ion release and biocompatibility. Materials & Design 2017, 129, 239-248.
• Baba Ismail YM, Ferreira AM, Bretcanu O, Dalgarno K, El Haj AJ. Polyelectrolyte multi-layers assembly of SiCHA nanopowders and collagen type I on aminolysed PLA films to enhance cell-material interactions. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 2017, 159, 445-453.
• Mancuso E, Bretcanu O, Marshall M, Dalgarno KW. Sensitivity of novel silicate and borate-based glass structures on in vitro bioactivity and degradation behaviour. Ceramics International 2017, 43(15), 12651-12657.
• Wang J, Zhang H, Hunt MRC, Charles A, Tang J, Bretcanu O, Walker D, Hassan KT, Sun Y, Siller L. Synthesis and characterisation of reduced graphene oxide/bismuth composite for electrodes in electrochemical energy storage devices. ChemSusChem 2017, 10(2), 466-466.
• Mancuso E, Alharbi N, Bretcanu OA, Marshall M, Birch MA, McCaskie AM, Dalgarno KW. Three-dimentional printing of porous load bearing bioceramic scaffolds. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine 2017, 231(6), 575-585.
• Bretcanu O, Evans I. Glasses for Treatment of Liver Cancer by Radioembolization. In: Juliana Marchi, ed. Biocompatible Glasses. From Bone Regeneration to Cancer Treatment. Springer International Publishing, 2016, pp.267-283.
• Cochis A, Miola M, Bretcanu O, Rimondini L, Vernè E. Magnetic bioactive glass-ceramics for bone healing and hyperthermic treatment of solid tumors. In: A. Tiwari, P.K. Iyer, V. Kumar, H. Swart, ed. Advanced Magnetic and Optical Materials. Scrivener Publishing, 2016, pp.81-112.
• Mancuso E, Bretcanu O, Birch M, Marshall M, Dalgarno K. Novel 3d Printed Bioceramic Scaffolds as In Vitro Models for Bone Tissue Regeneration. In: 2015 4th TERMIS World Congress. 2015, Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Mary Ann Liebert.
• Bruno M, Miola M, Bretcanu O, Vitale-Brovarone C, Gerbaldo R, Laviano F, Verné E. Composite bone cements loaded with a bioactive and ferrimagnetic glass-ceramic. Part I: Morphological, mechanical and calorimetric characterization. Journal of Biomaterials Applications 2014, 29(2), 254-267.
• Bretcanu O, Baino F, Verne' E, Vitale-Brovarone C. Novel resorbable glass-ceramic scaffolds for hard tissue engineering: From the parent phosphate glass to its bone-like macroporous derivatives. Journal of Biomaterials Applications 2014, 28(9), 1287-1303.
• Baino F, Ferraris M, Bretcanu O, Verné E, Vitale-Brovarone C. Optimization of composition, structure and mechanical strength of bioactive 3-D glass-ceramic scaffolds for bone substitution. Journal of Biomaterials Applications 2013, 27(7), 872-890.
• Ferraris S, Vitale-Brovarone C, Bretcanu O, Cassinelli C, Vernè E. Surface functionalization of 3D glass–ceramic porous scaffolds for enhanced mineralization in vitro. Applied Surface Science 2013, 271, 412-420.
• Bretcanu O, Boccaccini AR, Salih V. Poly-DL-lactic acid coated Bioglass® scaffolds: toughening effects and osteosarcoma cell proliferation. Journal of Materials Science 2012, 47(15), 5661-5672.
• Vitale-Brovarone C, Ciapetti G, Leonardi E, Baldini N, Bretcanu O, Verné E, Baino F. Resorbable glass-ceramic phosphate-based scaffolds for bone tissue engineering: synthesis, properties and in vitro effects on human marrow stromal cells. Journal of Biomaterials Applications 2011, 26(4), 465-489.
• Allia P, Coïsson M, Tiberto P, Vinai F, Bretcanu O. Room-temperature relaxation of the electrical resistance and electrical 1/f^α noise observed at very low frequency in the remanent state of glass-ceramics containing magnetite nanoparticles. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 2010, 322(9-12), 1286–1289.
• 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.
• Bretcanu O, Misra S, Roy I, Renghini C, Fiori F, Boccaccini AR, Salih V. In vitro biocompatibility of 45S5 Bioglass®-derived glass-ceramic scaffolds coated with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine 2009, 3(2), 139-148.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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, Paraskevopoulos K, Conradt R, Thompson I, Boccaccini AR. Sintering and crystallisation of 45S5 Bioglass® powder. Journal of the European Ceramic Society 2009, 29(16), 3299-3306.
• Muthutantri AI, Huang J, Edirisinghe MJ, Bretcanu O, Boccaccini AR. Dipping and electrospraying for the preparation of hydroxyapatite foams for bone tissue engineering. Biomedical Materials 2008, 3(2), 025009.
• Califano V, Bloisi F, Vicari LR, Bretcanu O, Boccaccini AR. In situ Raman study to monitor bioactive glasses reactivity. Journal of Biomedical Optics 2008, 13(1), 014028.
• Gorustovich AA, Vargas GE, Bretcanu O, Vera-Mesones R, Porto-López JM, Boccaccini AR. Novel bioassay to evaluate biocompatibility of bioactive glass scaffolds for tissue engineering. Advances in Applied Ceramics 2008, 107(5), 274-276.
• Mohamad-Yunos D, Bretcanu O, Boccaccini AR. Polymer-bioceramic composites for tissue engineering scaffolds. Journal of Materials Science 2008, 43(13), 4433–4442.
• 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.