Christopher Larrimore
Christopher Larrimore is an osteopathic medical student at Nova Southeastern University and conducts research examining the hypothesized role of folate in myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
Larrimore, who is from Maryland, US, served four years in the US Coast Guard before enrolling in the University of Maryland, where he earned a Bachelor of Science. He next earned a Master in Science from Johns Hopkins University.[1] He next conducted research for two years before beginning medical school at Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM) at Nova Southeastern University. In 2019, he begins his fourth year of medical school.[1]
Research[edit | edit source]
On a two-year research fellowship from the Johns Hopkins University, Larrimore investigated blood vessel growth in response to tumor formation.[1]
After matriculation into medical school, he began pursuing ME research on a one-year research fellowship at NSU-KPCOM.[1]
His current ME research examines genetics and a hypothesized role of 5-MTHF (active folate, methylfolate, or Vitamin B9) in people with ME.[1] Methylation is a mechanism central to the functioning of numerous biochemical pathways, including in cardiovascular, neurological, reproductive, energy production and detoxification biochemical systems.[1] If a genetic variant reducing available 5-MTHFR is present, it reduces the body's ability to activate these systems, possibly producing fatigue such as seen in the clinical presentation of ME.[1] To examine this possible link to ME, Larrimore used a genetic database developed by Dr. Nancy Klimas’s team at the NSU Institute of Neuro-Immune Medicine to identify persons with a MTHFR gene mutation and recruit for a small, proof-of-concept study of the role of folate in ME.[1] Over three months in a double-blinded study, subjects took either daily methylfolate supplement or a placebo and outcomes were measured both by serum biomarkers and self-reported symptoms. In July 2019, he was awarded a Blue Ribbon Fellowship from MEAction to continue this project.[1]
Publications[edit | edit source]
- 2019, Understanding Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Emerging Osteopathic Approach: A Narrative Review.[2]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Announcing #MEAction's Blue Ribbon Fellow: Investigating the Role of Folate in ME". #MEAction. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
- ↑ Larrimore, Christopher; Ramnot, Amanda; Jaghab, Annmarie; Sarduy, Sofia; Guerrero, George; Troccoli, Peter; Hilton, Kelly; Bested, Alison (July 1, 2019). "Understanding Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Emerging Osteopathic Approach: A Narrative Review". The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 119 (7): 446. doi:10.7556/jaoa.2019.081. ISSN 0098-6151.