Frontiers in Physiology retracted a diabetic kidney disease article after an investigation found image integrity concerns. The notice, published November 5, 2026, targets a 2021 paper proposing TRIM18-regulated STAT3 signaling via PTP1B in diabetic kidney disease. The retraction follows figure-level discrepancies identified during the journal’s review process, with authors given the opportunity to respond. PubPeer users reportedly helped surface the issues that triggered the investigation. For the field, the event is a reminder of the downstream risks that flawed figure data can pose for translational hypotheses and subsequent experimental direction—especially in mechanistic renal signaling programs.