Another retraction for Naoki Mori (make that 23?)

The retraction total for Naoki Mori continues to rise.

The October issue of Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications has retracted a 2007 paper by Mori et al for the same issues — manipulated images — that  brought down the 20-odd other papers of his since the scandal broke in late December.

Here’s the notice for the pulled paper, titled “Downregulation of citrin, a mitochondrial AGC, is associated with apoptosis of hepatocytes:”

The editors would like to confirm the retraction of this paper at the request of the corresponding author. It contains multiple inaccurate and inappropriately manipulated β-actin RT-PCR gel images. The corresponding author, Naoki Mori, takes full responsibility for the duplication and misrepresentation of the figures in this paper, states that none of the other co-authors were involved in or aware of these events, and apologizes to the readers of Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications for submitting and publishing these duplicated images.

In Mori’s case, pictures appear to have been worth way more than 1,000 words (temporarily, at least).

The paper has been cited four times, according to Thomson Scientific’s Web of Knowledge.