Researcher on hunt for Parkinson’s cure

Virginia Commonwealth University's new Parkinson's initiative will be led by a veteran researcher who believes no single thing triggers the disease that causes debilitating, gradually worsening tremors.

While much of Dr. James P. Bennett Jr.'s research focuses on the role of the energy-producing components of cells called mitochondria, those working with him are pursuing a range of theories and possible treatments -- even a type of low-level light therapy studied so far in cells in laboratory dishes.

"Biologically, there is not going to be one thing wrong," Bennett said. "It's going to be very complicated and multifactoral that could be quite different across individuals. There is no reason to assume there will be a single cause" of Parkinson's, a condition associated with aging.

Bennett, 60, starts today as chairman of the neurology department at VCU and as director of VCU's new $10 million Parkinson's disease research and treatment initiative.

The ambitious effort aims to raise VCU's profile in research and patient care for such neurological conditions as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's diseases.

Bennett has spent the past 29 years at the University of Virginia, where he brought in millions of dollars in research grants.

Lest anyone think VCU "stole" him from U.Va., Bennett sent the first e-mail, contacting the medical school dean after reading about the initiative on the VCU Web site and saying to himself, "Hey, I can do that."

"I responded to that e-mail within five minutes of getting it," said Dr. Jerome Strauss III, dean of the VCU School of Medicine.

"I knew he was one of the leading figures in the field. I was just thrilled he was interested in exploring the opportunity," Strauss said.

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Bennett cites multiple reasons for coming to VCU.

He said he liked Strauss' vision of VCU becoming a "translational powerhouse" where researchers work toward discoveries that can be moved to the market sooner as therapies for patients.

He also liked the university's overall "very positive, forward-thinking vision for the future," he said.

The thing that helped seal the deal, however, was the interactions with a group of Richmond-area men who humorously call themselves the Movers and Shakers.

"They are a highly passionate, devoted, astute group of individuals who have been working together for years to make something happen without a director, without a designated space," Bennett said.

"It was all an idea. They kept to that idea. I met with them a couple of times. Each time, I was more impressed with their commitment."

The Movers and Shakers, including group member Charles F. Bryan Jr., were featured in a 2006 story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

"My attitude is, Parkinson's is the enemy. I am fighting it tooth and nail," said Bryan, diagnosed five years ago. "I try to reach out to those who have it and help them in every possible way. I like to say when I am gone, Parkinson's is going to be so glad I am gone."

News stories about the Movers and Shakers caught the eye of Strauss at VCU, who met with them to talk about a possible research initiative.

In the 2006 story, Bryan had described how as a veteran he was able to get comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for his Parkinson's at McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, but there was nothing similar in the community for nonveterans.

"Since [Strauss] announced he would create such a center, my colleagues and I have been very active in raising money," Bryan said. "It's a $10 million effort." Strauss committed $5 million from the VCU School of Medicine, and the Movers and Shakers are matching that through fundraising.

"We are about $8.4 million toward the full $10 million. . . . It's not the best time to be raising money. I think despite that, we have done well. We have picked up two $1 million gifts and a goodly number of six-figure gifts," Bryan said.

The funds raised so far include $1 million for an endowed chair in neurodegenerative diseases made possible through a gift from FitzGerald and Margaret Bemiss. Bennett will occupy that chair. Interest on the endowment will support his salary.

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At U.Va., Bennett is director of the Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research. The center is one of 14 such facilities named for the congressman who died from the disease in 1998 and funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health.

An exclusive list of universities have such centers, including Harvard, UCLA, Northwestern and Johns Hopkins, where Bennett earned his medical degree, a Ph.D. in pharmacology, and also did postdoctoral study in neuropharmacology. Funding for the centers comes in five-year allotments, averaging about $1 million a year for each institution.

Bennett said he will submit an application this fall for continued Udall Center funding for 2010 and beyond. Initially, Bennett said he will travel between VCU and U.Va., where his lab will remain until spring when the current Udall grant ends, and then the program relocates to VCU with him.

At VCU, Bennett will do research, teach and see patients. VCU's research initiative will work closely with the Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center at the McGuire VA Medical Center, where some VCU researchers also have appointments and are looking for clues to what causes the disease.

An estimated 500,000 people in the U.S. have Parkinson's disease. With the aging of baby boomers, the number diagnosed is expected to increase. Medications can control symptoms, but there is no cure, and over time drugs may stop working.

Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or .