Roberto Ciccocioppo

Head of the School of Advanced Studies

Professor of Pharmacology

roberto.ciccocioppo@unicam.it

Education

  • PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Camerino (11/11/1996)
  • Degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies at the University of Camerino (21/04/1991)
  • High school leaving qualification in scientific studies (1984)

Positions

  • Full Professor on Pharmacology at the University of Camerino (since 2010)
  • Responsible for the University of Camerino at the “Uniti Contro le Droghe” table, promoted and coordinated by the Prefettura of Macerata (since 2018)
  • Component of the “Commissione Regionale per l’Appropriatezza Terapeutica (CRAT)” of Marche Region (since 2019)

Publications

  • Domi A, Stopponi S, Domi E, Ciccocioppo R, Cannella N. Sub-dimensions of Alcohol Use Disorder in Alcohol Preferring and Non-preferring Rats, a Comparative Study. Front Behav Neurosci. 2019 Jan 30;13:3
  • Narendran R, Ciccocioppo R, Lopresti B, Paris J, Himes ML, Mason NS. Nociceptin Receptors in Alcohol Use Disorders: A Positron Emission Tomography Study Using [11C]NOP-1A. Biol Psychiatry. 2018 Nov 15;84(10):708-714
  • Bifone A, Gozzi A, Cippitelli A, Matzeu A, Domi E, Li H, Scuppa G, Cannella N, Ubaldi M, Weiss F, Ciccocioppo R phMRI, neurochemical and behavioral responses to psychostimulants distinguishing genetically selected alcohol-preferring from genetically heterogenous rats. Addict Biol. 2018.
  • Natividad LA, Buczynski MW, Herman MA, Kirson D, Oleata CS, Irimia C, Polis I, Ciccocioppo R, Roberto M, Parsons LH. Constitutive Increases in Amygdalar Corticotropin-Releasing Factor and Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Drive an Anxious Phenotype. Biol Psychiatry. 2017
  • Cippitelli A, Domi E, Ubaldi M, Douglas JC, Li HW, Demopulos G, Gaitanaris G, Roberto M, Drew PD, Kane CJ, Ciccocioppo R. Protection against alcohol-induced neuronal and cognitive damage by the PPARγ receptor agonist pioglitazone. Brain Behav Immun. 2017
  • Kallupi M, Scuppa G, de Guglielmo G, Calò G, Weiss F, Statnick MA, Rorick-Kehn LM, Ciccocioppo R. Genetic Deletion of the Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ Receptor in the Rat Confers Resilience to the Development of Drug Addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017 Feb;42(3):695-706
  • Domi E, Uhrig S, Soverchia L, Spanagel R, Hansson AC, Barbier E, Heilig M, Ciccocioppo R, Ubaldi M. Genetic Deletion of Neuronal PPARγ Enhances the Emotional Response to Acute Stress and Exacerbates Anxiety: An Effect Reversed by Rescue of Amygdala PPARγ Function. J Neurosci. 2016 2016 Dec 14;3650):12611-12623
  • de Guglielmo G, Melis M, De Luca MA, Kallupi M, Li HW, Niswender K, Giordano A, Senzacqua M, Somaini L, Cippitelli A, Gaitanaris G, Demopulos G, Damadzic R, Tapocik J, Heilig M, Ciccocioppo R. PPARγ Activation Attenuates Opioid Consumption and Modulates Mesolimbic Dopamine Transmission. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015;40:927-37
  • Micioni Di Bonaventura MV, Ciccocioppo R, Romano A, Bossert JM, Rice KC, Ubaldi M, St Laurent R, Gaetani S, Massi M, Shaham Y, Cifani C. Role of bed nucleus of the stria terminalis corticotrophin-releasing factor receptors in frustration stress-induced binge-like palatable food consumption in female rats with a history of food restriction. J Neurosci. 2014;34(34):11316-24.
  • de Guglielmo G, Kallupi M, Scuppa G, Stopponi S, Demopulos G, Gaitanaris G, Ciccocioppo R. Analgesic tolerance to morphine is regulated by PPARγ. Br J Pharmacol. 2014;171:5407-16
  • Ciccocioppo R, Stopponi S, Economidou D, Kuriyama M, Kinoshita H, Heilig M, Roberto M, Weiss F, Teshima K. Chronic treatment with novel brain-penetrating selective NOP receptor agonist MT-7716 reduces alcohol drinking and seeking in the rat. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2014;39:2601-10.
  • Ciccocioppo R, de Guglielmo G, Hansson AC, Ubaldi M, Kallupi M, Cruz MT, Oleata CS, Heilig M, Roberto M. Restraint stress alters nociceptin/orphanin FQ and CRF systems in the rat central amygdala: significance for anxiety-like behaviors. J Neurosci. 2014;34:363-72
  • Thorsell A, Tapocik JD, Liu K, Zook M, Bell L, Flanigan M, Patnaik S, Marugan J, Damadzic R, Dehdashti SJ, Schwandt ML, Southall N, Austin CP, Eskay R, Ciccocioppo R, Zheng W, Heilig M. A novel brain penetrant NPS receptor antagonist, NCGC00185684, blocks alcohol-induced ERK-phosphorylation in the central amygdala and decreases operant alcohol self-administration in rats. J Neurosci. 2013 Jun 12;33(24):10132-42
  • Cannella N, Kallupi M, Ruggeri B, Ciccocioppo R, Ubaldi M The role of the neuropeptide S system in addiction: Focus on its interaction with the CRF and hypocretin/orexin neurotransmission. Prog Neurobiol. 2013 Jan;100:48-59
  • Schank JR, Ryabinin AE, Giardino WJ, Ciccocioppo R, Heilig M Stress-related neuropeptides and addictive behaviors: beyond the usual suspects. Neuron. 2012 Oct 4;76(1):192-208.
  • Gozzi A, Agosta F, Massi M, Ciccocioppo R, Bifone A Reduced limbic metabolism and fronto- cortical volume in rats vulnerable to alcohol addiction. Neuroimage. 2012 Dec 20;69C:112-119.
  • Stopponi S, Somaini L, Cippitelli A, Cannella N, Braconi S, Kallupi M, Ruggeri B, Heilig M, Demopulos G, Gaitanaris G, Massi M, Ciccocioppo R. Activation of Nuclear PPARγ Receptors by the Antidiabetic Agent Pioglitazone Suppresses Alcohol Drinking and Relapse to Alcohol Seeking. Biol Psychiatry. 2011;69:642-9.
  • Kallupi M, Cannella N, Ruggeri B, Ubaldi M, Economidou D, Weiss F, Massi M, Marugan J, Heilig M, de Lecea L, Ciccocioppo R. Role for the Neuropeptide S system in the physiopathology of cue-induced cocaine relapse: A mechanism mediated by the hypothalamic hypocretin system. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2010;107:19567-72.
  • Fedeli A, Braconi S, Economidou D, Cannella N, Kallupi M, Guerrini R, Calò G, Cifani C, Massi M, Ciccocioppo R. The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus is a neuroanatomical substrate for the inhibition of palatable food intake by neuropeptide S. Eur J Neurosci. 2009 Oct;30(8):1594-602.
  • Cifani C, Zanoncelli A, Tessari M, Righetti C, Di Francesco C, Ciccocioppo R, Massi M, Melotto S Pre-exposure to environmental cues predictive of food availability elicits hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis activation and increases operant responding for food in female rats. Addict Biol. 2009 Sep;14(4):397-407
  • Cannella N, Economidou D, Kallupi M, Stopponi S, Heilig M, Massi M, Ciccocioppo R. Persistent increase of alcohol-seeking evoked by neuropeptide s: an effect mediated by the hypothalamic hypocretin system. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2009 Aug;34(9):2125-34.
  • Economidou D, Hansson AC, Weiss F, Terasmaa A, Sommer WH, Cippitelli A, Fedeli A, Martin- Fardon R, Massi M, Ciccocioppo R, Heilig M. Dysregulation of nociceptin/orphanin FQ activity in the amygdala is linked to excessive alcohol drinking in the rat. Biol Psychiatry. 2008;64:211-8.
  • Hansson AC, Cippitelli A, Sommer WH, Fedeli A, Bjork K, Soverchia L, Terasmaa A, Massi M, Heilig M, Ciccocioppo R. Variation at the rat Crhr1 locus and sensitivity to relapse into alcohol seeking induced by environmental stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Oct 10;103(41):15236-41.
  • Ciccocioppo R, Economidou D, Cippitelli A, Cucculelli M, Ubaldi M, Soverchia L, Lourdusamy A, Massi M. Genetically selected Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats: an animal model to study the neurobiology of alcoholism. Addict Biol. 2006 Sep;11(3-4):339-55.
  • Ciccocioppo R, Economidou D, Rimondini R, Sommer W, Massi M, Heilig M. Buprenorphine Reduces Alcohol Drinking Through Activation of the Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ-NOP Receptor System. Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Mar 11
  • Bachteler D, Economidou D, Danysz W, Ciccocioppo R, Spanagel R. The effects of acamprosate and neramexane on cue-induced reinstatement of ethanol-seeking behavior in rat. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2005 Jun;30(6):1104-10.
  • Ciccocioppo R, Martin-Fardon R, Weiss F. Stimuli associated with a single cocaine experience elicit long-lasting cocaine-seeking. Nat Neurosci. 2004 May;7(5):495-6. Epub 2004 Mar 28.
  • Ciccocioppo R, Fedeli A, Economidou D, Policani F, Weiss F, Massi M. The bed nucleus is a neuroanatomical substrate for the anorectic effect of corticotropin-releasing factor and for its reversal by nociceptin/orphanin FQ. J Neurosci. 2003 Oct 15;23(28):9445-51.
  • Ciccocioppo R, Martin-Fardon R, Weiss F. Effect of selective blockade of mu(1) or delta opioid receptors on reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behavior by drug-associated stimuli in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2002 Sep;27(3):391-9.
  • Weiss F, Martin-Fardon R, Ciccocioppo R, Kerr TM, Smith DL, Ben-Shahar O. Enduring resistance to extinction of cocaine-seeking behavior induced by drug-related cues. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2001 Sep;25(3):361-72.
  • Ciccocioppo R, Sanna PP, Weiss F. Cocaine-predictive stimulus induces drug-seeking behavior and neural activation in limbic brain regions after multiple months of abstinence: reversal by D(1) antagonists. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Feb 13;98(4):1976-81