Braak stage 1, 100% of pigmented neurons left
parkinsonconnecting

Gene record

NDUFAF3

NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex assembly factor 3

translation score 0.61, read 2026-10-17; 1 sealed predictions, 0 held; 1 receipts.

Six readers

readerfoundscore
genetics
Open Targets
no genetic evidence; overall 0.31 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: me-344, metformin, metformin hydrochloride1.00
trials
ClinicalTrials.gov
4 Parkinson's trials, 0 stopped1.00
literature
PubMed
no papers tie it to Parkinson's yet1.00
pathways
Reactome
1 pathway; mostly mitochondrial quality control1.00
proposal for NDUFAF3, translation score 0.61

Knock down and overexpress NDUFAF3 in a dopamine neuron, astrocyte and microglia tri-culture; measure PINK1–parkin mitophagy flux (mt-Keima) and phospho-ubiquitin (pS65-Ub) 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
PINK1–parkin mitophagy flux (mt-Keima) and phospho-ubiquitin (pS65-Ub)
Functional readout
dopamine neuron survival after α-synuclein fibril challenge
Rule-out
If neither arm moves PINK1–parkin mitophagy flux (mt-Keima) 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 NDUFAF3 in a tri-culture of iPSC dopamine neurons, astrocytes and microglia; n = 3 differentiations; readouts: PINK1–parkin mitophagy flux (mt-Keima) and phospho-ubiquitin (pS65-Ub); 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. NDUFAF3 in dopamine neurons, braak+0.12 (p 0.749) → -0.19 (p 0.623)receipt 1194

Swarm cases

receipt 1194: NDUFAF3 in dopamine neurons, braak

power
full sample -0.04 (p 0.881, n 18), 95% CI -0.50 to +0.44. the interval is wide: not enough donors to tell.
confounder
adjusted for sex: +0.06 (p 0.820, n 18). does not hold up.
composition
dopamine neurons share of nuclei vs axis +0.05 (p 0.854); controlling for it: +0.09 (p 0.735, n 18). could be the mix.
skeptic
leave-one-out range -0.18 to +0.09, sign flips 6; without severely affected donors -0.04 (p 0.881, n 18). fragile.
cell type
no other cell group does better.
axis
no measure beats "tracks Braak Lewy-body stage" for NDUFAF3 in dopamine neurons.

case closed: nothing better to follow up.

Receipts

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