Braak stage 1, 100% of pigmented neurons left
parkinsonconnecting

Gene record

CACNB2

calcium voltage-gated channel auxiliary subunit beta 2

translation score 0.59, read 2026-10-27; 1 sealed predictions, 0 held; 1 receipts.

Six readers

readerfoundscore
genetics
Open Targets
no genetic evidence; overall 0.01 from other evidence0.00
cell type
Human Protein Atlas
expressed broadly, no clear home in brain cells0.40
chemistry
Open Targets
compounds already reach it: pregabalin, gabapentin, atagabalin +71.00
trials
ClinicalTrials.gov
2 Parkinson's trials, 0 stopped1.00
literature
PubMed
1 Parkinson's papers of 1670.91
pathways
Reactome
8 pathways; mostly dopamine synapse1.00
proposal for CACNB2, translation score 0.59

Knock down and overexpress CACNB2 in a dopamine neuron, astrocyte and microglia tri-culture; measure evoked dopamine release and dopamine transporter uptake and dopamine neuron survival after α-synuclein fibril challenge.

Cell type
a dopamine neuron, astrocyte and microglia tri-culture
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
dopamine neuron survival after α-synuclein fibril challenge
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 CACNB2 in a tri-culture of iPSC dopamine neurons, astrocytes and microglia; n = 3 differentiations; readouts: evoked dopamine release and dopamine transporter uptake; dopamine neuron survival after α-synuclein fibril challenge. Controls: non-targeting guide, empty vector. About 8 to 10 weeks, most of it differentiation.

Sealed predictions

  1. CACNB2 in dopamine neurons, braak+0.14 (p 0.722) → +0.36 (p 0.347)receipt 11557

Swarm cases

receipt 11557: CACNB2 in dopamine neurons, braak

power
full sample +0.21 (p 0.408, n 18), 95% CI -0.29 to +0.61. the interval is wide: not enough donors to tell.
confounder
adjusted for sex: +0.19 (p 0.439, n 18). does not hold up.
composition
dopamine neurons share of nuclei vs axis +0.05 (p 0.854); controlling for it: +0.22 (p 0.379, n 18). could be the mix.
skeptic
leave-one-out range +0.11 to +0.38, sign flips 0; without severely affected donors +0.21 (p 0.408, n 18). fragile.
cell type
no other cell group does better.
axis
no measure beats "tracks Braak Lewy-body stage" for CACNB2 in dopamine neurons.

case closed: nothing better to follow up.

Receipts

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