Name: Gheorghe Fundueanu
 
Nationality: Romanian
 
Position/Title: Principal scientist/PhD
 
Employer: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Bioactive and Biocompatible Polymers
  
Address: Aleea Grigore Ghica Voda, 41 A, 700487, Iasi, Romania
 
Education Background: Polymer Chemistry

Research Interest:

Micro- and nano-particles for controlled release of drugs or other bioactive molecules

Polymeric hydrogels for drug delivery systems

Intelligent polymeric devices: pH/thermosensitive and molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres for controlled release of bioactive compounds

Employment Experience:

(a)    Micro- and nanoparticles used as delivery systems for antiglicaemic and antiarithmic drugs (buformin, quinidine).

(b)   Micro- and nanoparticles used as topical delivery systems for antitumoral drugs (tetraamidines).

(c)    Micro- and nanoparticles based on alginates obtained by chelatization method.

(d)   Micro- and nanoparticles as DNA delivery systems for gene therapy.

(e)    Micro- and nanoparticles obtained by solvent evaporation method for delivery of antibacterial drugs.

(f)     Multicompartimental delivery systems for controlled release of water soluble drugs.

(g)    Micro- and nanoparticles obtained by spray drying technique.

(h)    Bioadhesive starch microspheres as support for nasal administration of antiallergic drugs.

(i)    Microcapsules with intelligent shell for the transport to colon of bioadhesive microspheres loaded with DNA.

(j)    pH/thermosensitive microspheres for controlled release of drugs

Publications (selected):

1.       Fundueanu Gheorghe, Constantin Marieta, Ascenzi Paolo, Fast-responsive porous thermoresponsive microspheres for controlled delivery of macromolecules, International Journal of Pharmaceutics 2009, 379(1): 9-17.

2.       Fundueanu Gheorghe, Constantin Marieta; Ascenzi Paolo, Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) cross-linked thermoresponsive microspheres obtained from preformed polymers: Influence of the physico-chemical characteristics of drugs on their release profiles, Acta Biomaterialia 2009, 5(1): 363-73.

3.      Fundueanu G, Constantin M, Stanciu C, Theodoridis G, Ascenzi P., pH- and temperature-sensitive polymeric microspheres for drug delivery: the dissolution of copolymers modulates drug release, J Mater Sci Mater Med. 2009, 20(12):2465-75.

4.       G. Fundueanu, M. Constantin, C. Stanciu, I. Mihalcea, Preparation of pullulan microspheres with thermosensitive properties as temperature-controlled drug delivery system, Annnals of West University of Timisoara. Series of Chemistry 2009, 18(1): 81-92.

5.       G. Fundueanu, M. Constantin, P. Ascenzi, “Preparation and characterization of pH- and temperature-sensitive pullulan microspheres for controlled release of drugs”, Biomaterials 29 (18), 2767-2775, 2008.

6.       G. Fundueanu, M. Constantin, F. Bortolotti, R. Cortesi, P. Ascenzi and E. Menegatti, “Cellulose acetate butyrate–pH/thermosensitive polymer microcapsules containing aminated poly(vinyl alcohol) microspheres for oral administration of DNA”, European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics 66 (1), 11-20, 2007

7.       G. Fundueanu, M. Constantin, F. Bortolotti, R. Cortesi, P. Ascenzi and E. Menegatti, “Poly[(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide-co-hydroxyethylmethacrylate)] thermoresponsive microspheres: an accurate method based on solute exclusion technique to determine the volume phase transition temperature”, European Polymer Journal 43, 3500-3509, 2007.

8.       G. Fundueanu, M. Constantin, E. Esposito, R. Cortesi, C. Nastruzzi, E. Menegatti, “Cellulose acetate butyrate microcapsules containing dextran ion-exchange resins as self-propelled drug release system”, Biomaterials 26, 4337-4347, 2005.

9.       G. Fundueanu, M. Constantin, F. Bortolotti, P. Ascenzi, R. Cortesi, E. Menegatti, “Preparation and characterisation of thermoresponsive poly[(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide-co-(hydroxyethyl acrylate)] microspheres as a matrix for the pulsed release of drugs”, Macromolecular Bioscience 5, 955-964, 2005.

10.   G. Fundueanu, M. Constantin, A. Dalpiaz, F. Bortolotti, R. Cortesi, P. Ascenzi, E. Menegatti “Preparation and characterization of starch/cyclodextrin bioadhesive microspheres as platform for nasal administration of Gabexate Mesilate (Foy?) in allergic rhinitis treatment”, Biomaterials 25, 159-170, 2004.

11.   Gheorghe Fundueanu, Marieta Constantin, Doina Mihai, Fabrizio Bortolotti, Rita Cortesi, Paolo Ascenzi, Enea Menegatti,“Pullulan-cyclodextrin microspheres. A chromatographic approach for the evaluation of the drug – cyclodextrin interactions and the determination of the drug release profiles”, J. of Chromatography B, 791 407 – 419, 2003.

12.   G. Fundueanu, M. Constantin, G. Mocanu, A. Carpov, E. Menegatti, C. Nastruzzi, “Preparation and characterization of acrylic copolymer microspheres for the controlled relesase of lipophilic quinidine”, S.T.P. Pharma Sciences 13 (5), 305-312, 2003.

13.   Gh. Fundueanu, G. Mocanu, M. Constantin, A. Carpov, V. Bulacovschi, E. Esposito, C. Nastruzzi, “Acrylic microspheres for oral controlled release of the biguanide buformin”, Int. J. of Pharmaceutics 218, 13-25, 2001.

14.   Fundueanu Gh., Nastruzzi C., Carpov A., Desbrieres J., Rinaudo M., "Physico-chemical characterization of Ca-alginate microparticles produced with different methods", Biomaterials 1999, 20, 1427-1435.

15.   Fundueanu G., Esposito E., Mihai D., Carpov A., Desbrieres J., Rinaudo M., Nastruzzi C., "Preparation and characterisation of Ca-alginate microspheres by a new modification method", International Journal of Pharmaceutics 1998, 170, 11-21.

International experience:

September 1992-April 1993 – specialization at "International School of Advanced Studies in Polymer Science" from Ferrara, Italy.

December 1996 -June 1997- French fellowship-"Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolecules Vegetales"(CERMAV)-CNRS, Grenoble, France.

December 1999 - September 2000 – research fellow (bilateral cooperation between Romania and Italy) - Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Ferrara, Italy.

October-December 2001, October-December 2002 - research fellow (bilateral cooperation) - Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Ferrara, Italy.

May – November 2003 – Post doc. fellow (NATO individual fellowship) - Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Ferrara, Italy.

October-December 2005 - research fellow (bilateral cooperation) - Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Ferrara, Italy.

October-December 2006 - research fellow (bilateral cooperation between Romania and Greece) - Department of Analytical Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.