Dott. Massimo Allegri

Research interests

All research activities have been conducted utilizing a translational approach to discover new personalized medicine approaches in the following areas:
– Low back pain
– Neuropathic pain
– Spinal cord stimulation and pain
– Chronic postoperative pain
– Genomics and pharmacogenetics in acute/chronic pain: I have enrolled more than 2,000 patients in genomics clinical trials
– New clinical and laboratory biomarkers of pain and for pain diagnosis”

Author of 105 full lenght papers in peer review journals.

H index 20 (web of science/Scopus), Impact factor 260.

Acute inflammatory response via neutrophil activation protects against the development of chronic pain
…, N Ghasemlou, JS Mogil, M Allegri… – Science translational …, 2022 – science.org
The transition from acute to chronic pain is critically important but not well understood. Here,
we investigated the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the transition from acute to …

Mechanisms of low back pain: a guide for diagnosis and therapy
M Allegri, S Montella, F Salici, A Valente… – …, 2016 – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a chronic pain syndrome in the lower back region, lasting
for at least 3 months. CLBP represents the second leading cause of disability worldwide …

Morphine metabolism, transport and brain disposition
…, M De Gregori, GN Ranzani, M Allegri… – Metabolic brain …, 2012 – Springer
The chemical structures of morphine and its metabolites are closely related to the clinical
effects of drugs (analgesia and side-effects) and to their capability to cross the Blood Brain …

Consequences of the 118A>G polymorphism in the OPRM1 gene: translation from bench to bedside?
…, V Carossa, GN Ranzani, M Allegri… – Journal of pain …, 2013 – Taylor & Francis
The 118A>G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the μ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene
has been the most described variant in pharmacogenetic studies regarding opioid drugs. …

Immune function after major surgical interventions: the effect of postoperative pain treatment
…, S Grimaldi, A Panerai, M Allegri… – Journal of pain …, 2018 – Taylor & Francis
Introduction Impaired immune function during the perioperative period may be associated
with worse short- and long-term outcomes. Morphine is considered a major contributor to …

Perioperative pain management in cardiac surgery: a systematic review.
…, C Trumello, MC Pace, M Allegri – Minerva …, 2017 – europepmc.org
BACKGROUND: Every year, more than 1.5 million patients, who undergo cardiac surgery
worldwide, are exposed to a series of factors that can trigger acute postoperative pain …

Acute and chronic pain: where we are and where we have to go
M Allegri, MR Clark, J De Andrés, TS Jensen – Minerva Anestesiol, 2012 – medicalethics.me
In recent years, increasing attention has been focused on the treatment of acute and chronic
pain with a considerable number of publications about it. Nevertheless all the attention …

Impact of intravesical hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate on bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis
…, B Gardella, MD Daccò, RE Nappi, M Allegri… – International …, 2012 – Springer
Introduction and hypothesis Intravesical instillations of hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin
sulfate (CS) may lead to regeneration of the damaged glycosaminoglycan layer in interstitial …

Genetic variability at COMT but not at OPRM1 and UGT2B7 loci modulates morphine analgesic response in acute postoperative pain
…, A Lisa, S Govoni, M Regazzi, M Allegri… – European journal of …, 2013 – Springer
Purpose To investigate interindividual variability in response to pain treatment, we characterized
postoperative patients for morphine metabolism and for COMT, OPRM1 and UGT2B7 …

A pharmacological treatment algorithm for localized neuropathic pain
M Allegri, R Baron, G Hans… – … medical research and …, 2016 – Taylor & Francis
Neuropathic pain is caused by a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system and
is difficult to manage, often proving refractory to existing treatments. In more than half of cases…

Spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of refractory angina pectoris: a multicenter randomized single-blind study (the SCS-ITA trial)
…, S Ghio, F Sarullo, G Zuin, A De Luca, M Allegri… – PAIN®, 2011 – Elsevier
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is believed to be effective in treating refractory angina. The
need for SCS-related chest paresthesia, however, has hitherto made impossible placebo-…

Effects of environmental factors on severity and mortality of COVID-19
…, JP Horcajada, X Castells, J Pascual, M Allegri… – Frontiers in …, 2021 – frontiersin.org
Background: Most respiratory viruses show pronounced seasonality, but for SARS-CoV-2,
this still needs to be documented. Methods: We examined the disease progression of COVID-…

Pain assessment in animal models: do we need further studies?
…, F Calabrese, T Dominioni, M Allegri… – Journal of pain …, 2014 – Taylor & Francis
In the last two decades, animal models have become important tools in understanding and
treating pain, and in predicting analgesic efficacy. Although rodent models retain a dominant …

Defining the genetic control of human blood plasma N-glycome using genome-wide association study
…, M Pucic-Bakovic, C Gieger, M Allegri… – Human molecular …, 2019 – academic.oup.com
Glycosylation is a common post-translational modification of proteins. Glycosylation is
associated with a number of human diseases. Defining genetic factors altering glycosylation may …

Inflammation‐based scores: a new method for patient‐targeted strategies and improved perioperative outcome in cancer patients
D Bugada, M Allegri… – BioMed research …, 2014 – Wiley Online Library
Systemic inflammatory response (SIR) has actually been shown as an important prognostic
factor associated with lower postoperative survival in several types of cancer. Thus, the …

Genetic pathway analysis reveals a major role for extracellular matrix organization in inflammatory and neuropathic pain
…, LJ Martin, N El-Hachem, C Dagostino, M Allegri… – Pain, 2019 – journals.lww.com
Chronic pain is a debilitating and poorly treated condition whose underlying mechanisms are
poorly understood. Nerve injury and inflammation cause alterations in gene expression in …

The 5% lidocaine-medicated plaster: its inclusion in international treatment guidelines for treating localized neuropathic pain, and clinical evidence supporting its use
R Baron, M Allegri, G Correa-Illanes, G Hans… – Pain and therapy, 2016 – Springer
When peripheral neuropathic pain affects a specific, clearly demarcated area of the body, it
may be described as localized neuropathic pain (LNP). Examples include postherpetic …

Human genetic variability contributes to postoperative morphine consumption
…, S De Gregori, M Molinaro, G Fanelli, M Allegri – The Journal of …, 2016 – Elsevier
High interindividual variability in postoperative opioid consumption is related to genetic and
environmental factors. We tested the association between morphine consumption, …

Composition of the immunoglobulin G glycome associates with the severity of COVID-19
…, X Castells, JP Horcajada, SS Pinho, M Allegri… – …, 2021 – academic.oup.com
A large variation in the severity of disease symptoms is one of the key open questions in
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemics. The fact that only a small subset of people …

Effect of preoperative inflammatory status and comorbidities on pain resolution and persistent postsurgical pain after inguinal hernia repair
…, T Meschi, G Fanelli, M Allegri – Mediators of …, 2016 – Wiley Online Library
Poor acute pain control and inflammation are important risk factors for Persistent Postsurgical
Pain (PPSP). The aim of the study is to investigate, in the context of a prospective cohort of …

Systematic review and meta‐analysis on neuropsychological effects of long‐term use of opioids in patients with chronic noncancer pain
N Allegri, S Mennuni, E Rulli, N Vanacore… – Pain …, 2019 – Wiley Online Library
Background and Objective Opioid treatments are often prolonged because of the pathology
causing pain. We focused on the cognitive functions in patients with chronic pain treated with …

Effects of anaesthesia and analgesia on long-term outcome after total knee replacement: A prospective, observational, multicentre study
D Bugada, M Allegri, M Gemma… – European Journal of …, 2017 – journals.lww.com
BACKGROUND Perioperative regional anaesthesia may protect from persistent postsurgical
pain (PPSP) and improve outcome after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). OBJECTIVES Aim of …

CYP2D6 genotype can help to predict effectiveness and safety during opioid treatment for chronic low back pain: results from a retrospective study in an Italian cohort
C Dagostino, M Allegri, V Napolioni… – Pharmacogenomics …, 2018 – Taylor & Francis
Background Opioids are widely used for chronic low back pain (CLBP); however, it is still
unclear how to predict their effectiveness and safety. Codeine, tramadol and oxycodone are …

Non‐drug pain relievers active on non‐opioid pain mechanisms
N Marchesi, S Govoni, M Allegri – Pain Practice, 2022 – Wiley Online Library
This review is aimed to summarize the pain‐relieving effect of non‐drug substances, mostly
prescribed as integrators in treatment of pain, including especially in chronic postoperative …

How and why to screen for CYP2D6 interindividual variability in patients under pharmacological treatments
M De Gregori, M Allegri, S De Gregori… – Current drug …, 2010 – ingentaconnect.com
Cytochromes P450 are members of a superfamily of hemoproteins that catalyze a variety of
oxidative reactions in the metabolism of endogenous and exogenous hydrophobic substrates…

Combining pain therapy with lifestyle: the role of personalized nutrition and nutritional supplements according to the SIMPAR Feed Your Destiny approach
…, M Salamone, S Ilari, I Belfer, M Allegri – Journal of pain …, 2016 – Taylor & Francis
Recently, attention to the lifestyle of patients has been rapidly increasing in the field of pain
therapy, particularly with regard to the role of nutrition in pain development and its …

Italian Registry of Complications associated with Regional Anesthesia (RICALOR). An incidence analysis from a prospective clinical survey.
M Allegri, D Bugada, P Grossi, A Manassero… – Minerva …, 2015 – europepmc.org
Background Regional anesthesia (RA) is associated with many advantages, but side effects
also occur. Several registries were developed to investigate such complications in many …

Chronic pain management in pregnancy and lactation
F Coluzzi, H Valensise, M Sacco, M Allegri – Minerva Anestesiol, 2014 – academia.edu
During pregnancy most of women will experience some kind of pain, either as a result of a
pre-existing condition (low back pain, headache, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis) or as …

Genetics and opioids: towards more appropriate prescription in cancer pain
D Bugada, LF Lorini, R Fumagalli, M Allegri – Cancers, 2020 – mdpi.com
Opioids are extensively used in patients with cancer pain; despite their efficacy, several
patients can experience ineffective analgesia and/or side effects. Pharmacogenetics is a new …

Future perspectives of ERAS: a narrative review on the new applications of an established approach
…, C Compagnone, M Baciarello, M Allegri… – Surgery Research …, 2016 – Wiley Online Library
ERAS approach (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) is a multimodal, perioperative pathway
designed to achieve early recovery after surgery. ERAS has shown documented efficacy in …

Plasma N-glycome composition associates with chronic low back pain
…, FMK Williams, J van Zundert, M Allegri… – … et Biophysica Acta (BBA …, 2018 – Elsevier
Background Low back pain (LBP) is the symptom of a group of syndromes with heterogeneous
underlying mechanisms and molecular pathologies, making treatment selection and …

From micro-to nanostructured implantable device for local anesthetic delivery
…, L Cobianchi, A Peloso, M Allegri… – International Journal …, 2016 – Taylor & Francis
Local anesthetics block the transmission of painful stimuli to the brain by acting on ion channels
of nociceptor fibers, and find application in the management of acute and chronic pain. …

Neuropathic pain in aged people: an unresolved issue open to novel drug approaches, focusing on painful diabetic neuropathy
…, F Fahmideh, A Pascale, M Allegri… – Current …, 2024 – ingentaconnect.com
A majority of older patients suffer from neuropathic pain (NP) that significantly alters their daily
activities and imposes a significant burden on health care. Multiple comorbidities and the …

Changes in total plasma and serum N-glycome composition and patient-controlled analgesia after major abdominal surgery
…, G Saccani Jotti, T Meschi, G Lauc, M Allegri – Scientific reports, 2016 – nature.com
Systemic inflammation participates to the complex healing process occurring after major
surgery, thus directly affecting the surgical outcome and patient recovery. Total plasma N-…

Cannabis and intractable chronic pain: an explorative retrospective analysis of Italian cohort of 614 patients
…, C Leonardi, A Longobardi, E Sarli, M Allegri… – Journal of pain …, 2017 – Taylor & Francis
Background Despite growing interest in the therapeutic use of cannabis to manage chronic
pain, only limited data that address these issues are available. In recent years, a number of …

Effect of postoperative analgesia on acute and persistent postherniotomy pain: a randomized study
…, A Braschi, G Fanelli, GMRS Jotti, M Allegri… – Journal of clinical …, 2015 – Elsevier
Study objective The study objective is to identify differences in postoperative pain management
according to different analgesic treatments, targeting 2 main pathways involved in pain …

The association between low back pain and composition of IgG glycome
…, T Keser, I Gudelj, J Štambuk, D Vučenović, M Allegri… – Scientific reports, 2016 – nature.com
Low back pain (LBP) is a common debilitating condition which aetiology and pathogenesis
are poorly understood. We carried out a first so far analysis of associations between LBP and …

Nanomedicine: Ushering in a new era of pain management
M Sprintz, E Tasciotti, M Allegri, A Grattoni… – European Journal of …, 2011 – Elsevier
Pain, be it acute, chronic, or any permutation thereof, is a universal problem affecting greater
than 1.5billion people worldwide, with over 116million in the US, and over 164 million …

Postoperative analgesia after laparoscopic ovarian cyst resection: double-blind multicenter randomized control trial comparing intraperitoneal nebulization and …
SS Catenacci, F Lovisari, S Peng, M Allegri… – Journal of Minimally …, 2015 – Elsevier
Study Objective To compare the effects of local anesthetic intraperitoneal nebulization with
intraperitoneal instillation during laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy on postoperative morphine …

Replication of 15 loci involved in human plasma protein N-glycosylation in 4802 samples from four cohorts
…, M Doherty, C Dagostino, C Gieger, M Allegri… – …, 2021 – academic.oup.com
Human protein glycosylation is a complex process, and its in vivo regulation is poorly
understood. Changes in glycosylation patterns are associated with many human diseases and …