Braak stage 1, 100% of pigmented neurons left
parkinsonconnecting

Gene record

CACNA1B

calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 B

translation score 0.62, read 2026-10-18; 1 sealed predictions, 0 held; 1 receipts.

Six readers

readerfoundscore
genetics
Open Targets
no genetic evidence; overall 0.11 from other evidence0.00
cell type
Human Protein Atlas
cell type enhanced, including brain inhibitory neurons; strongest in retinal ganglion cells0.75
chemistry
Open Targets
compounds already reach it: levetiracetam, ziconotide, phloroglucinol +141.00
trials
ClinicalTrials.gov
8 Parkinson's trials, 1 stopped0.90
literature
PubMed
3 Parkinson's papers of 1260.82
pathways
Reactome
1 pathway; mostly dopamine synapse1.00
proposal for CACNA1B, translation score 0.62

Knock down and overexpress CACNA1B in dopamine neurons; measure evoked dopamine release and dopamine transporter uptake and survival of TH-positive neurons and phospho-α-synuclein (pS129) inclusions after seeding with α-synuclein fibrils.

Cell type
dopamine neurons
Direction
Both arms: public data does not say which way helps; existing compounds already reach the inhibition arm.
Molecular readout
evoked dopamine release and dopamine transporter uptake
Functional readout
survival of TH-positive neurons and phospho-α-synuclein (pS129) inclusions after seeding with α-synuclein fibrils
Rule-out
If neither arm moves evoked dopamine release by 20% or more against non-targeting and empty-vector controls, across three independent differentiations, the hypothesis is wrong.
Lab request
CRISPRi knockdown and lentiviral overexpression of CACNA1B in iPSC-derived midbrain dopamine neurons (FOXA2+, LMX1A+, TH+); n = 3 differentiations; readouts: evoked dopamine release and dopamine transporter uptake; survival of TH-positive neurons and phospho-α-synuclein (pS129) inclusions after seeding with α-synuclein fibrils. Controls: non-targeting guide, empty vector. About 8 to 10 weeks, most of it differentiation.

Sealed predictions

  1. CACNA1B in dopamine neurons, braak-0.41 (p 0.277) → -0.50 (p 0.172)receipt 2422

Swarm cases

receipt 2422: CACNA1B in dopamine neurons, braak

power
full sample -0.42 (p 0.086, n 18), 95% CI -0.74 to +0.06. the interval is wide: not enough donors to tell.
confounder
adjusted for sex: -0.46 (p 0.054, n 18). does not hold up.
composition
dopamine neurons share of nuclei vs axis +0.05 (p 0.854); controlling for it: -0.71 (p 9.1e-4, n 18). not the mix.
skeptic
leave-one-out range -0.54 to -0.34, sign flips 0; without severely affected donors -0.42 (p 0.086, n 18). robust.
cell type
no other cell group does better.
axis
no measure beats "tracks Braak Lewy-body stage" for CACNA1B in dopamine neurons.

case closed: nothing better to follow up.

Receipts

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