The earthquake destroyed the data, and claimed that the Japanese professor found fake results – Retraction Watch

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A professor of cell biology in Japan falsified data in an influential cancer study published in Nature Neuroscience in 2019, according to an investigation by Okayama University.

The school, which released a report of its findings last month (in Japanese), found no fewer than 113 fabrications as well as problems with many of the images in the paper, titled “Genetic manipulation of autonomic nerve fiber innervation and activity and its impact on the development of breast cancer.” “

The report determined that Atsunori Kamiya of Okayama was involved in misconduct and recommended that the article, which had been cited 134 times, be retracted, according to Clarivate’s Web of Science. The paper has yet to be pulled, but an editor from the magazine said they are looking into the case.

Kamiya is also the former director of the Department of Cardiovascular Control at the Research Institute of the National Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Center in Suita, Japan. The Center participated in the Okayama investigation.

A translated version of the report reads:

The investigation committees of both organizations held that the malice was significant (significant) because it consisted of bogus experimental results on a fairly large scale and a large number of specific misconducts were identified.

A third-party investigative committee concluded that:

It was found that the defendant had not complied with ethical guidelines, and it was determined that the degree of non-compliance was serious.

When asked about the paper’s background data, Kamiya claimed that the hard drive that was storing it had fallen and shattered during the June 2018 North Osaka earthquake. Kamiya told investigators that paper copies were destroyed after chemical liquids from refrigerators and shelves fell on them during the earthquake.

The report also notes that Kamiya claimed that the problems with the figures in the paper were due to a “mix-up” of the photographs.

According to a news story in The Asahi Shimbun about the case, “the two organizations concluded that Kamiya’s fabrications were so blatant that he lacked a sense of morality as a scientist.”

The study was first tagged on PubPeer in 2021. The probe also looked at two other studies co-authored by Kamiya, but found no evidence of misconduct.

Elisa Floridia, senior editor at Nature Neuroscience UK, told Retraction Watch:

We’re working on it, but haven’t come to a decision (correction or rollback).

Kamiya did not respond to requests for comment.

Hat tip: Lemonstoism, author of World Fluctuation Watch

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