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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After following breast cancer patients for an average of eight-plus years, researchers say that adding trastuzumab (Herceptin) to chemotherapy significantly improved the overall and disease-free survival of women with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer.

WASHINGTON, DC – October 20, 2014 -- Lactobacillus species, commonly seen in yogurt cultures, correlate, in the guts of mouse models, with mitigation of lupus symptoms, while Lachnospiraceae, a type of Clostridia, correlate with worsening, according to research published ahead of print in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. "Our results suggest that the same investigation shold be performed in human subjects with lupus," says principal investigator Xin Luo of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.

New, significantly improved hepatitis C drugs have revolutionized how the disease is treated, but they are also expensive. One such drug, sofosbuvir, costs more than $7,000 a week for 12 weeks of treatment.

That could amount to a hefty price tag for American prison systems, which house more than 500,000 people infected with hepatitis C, a chronic viral infection that causes liver damage and is spread via contact with infected blood. Government officials in some states have expressed concerns about the cost and are working to limit its use.

An international research team discovered that mutation of a single gene blocks sweat production, a dangerous condition due to an increased risk of hyperthermia, also known as heatstroke. The gene, ITPR2, controls a basic cellular process in sweat glands, promoting the release of calcium necessary for normal sweat production, and its loss results in impaired sweat secretion.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — One in five physicians was unaware a hospitalized patient had a central venous catheter, which is commonly used for laboratory monitoring or to administer life-saving treatments such as IV delivery of antibiotics, nutrition, and other medications.

Surprisingly, attending physicians were least likely to know of the device's presence, followed by interns and residents, according to the new research led by the University of Michigan and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. The findings appear in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Natural killer (NK) cells are sentinels within the immune system that rapidly respond to and kill diseased cells. NK cells typically target and eliminate cells lacking the surface protein MHC class I. However, many tumor cells lack this protein yet are resistant to NK cell surveillance and killing. A new study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reveals that cytokine therapy enhances the activity of NK cells against tumors lacking MHC class I.

Worldwide, preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal deaths and preterm births. This serious pregnancy complication results in extremely high blood pressure and organ damage. The onset of preeclampsia is associated with elevated levels of a secreted protein, sFLT1, in maternal blood. However, the factors that regulate sFLT1 production are poorly understood. A new study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that placental cells produce sFLT1 in response to maternal increases in VEGF, which binds sFLT1 and affects blood vessel formation and function.

"Cancer isn't one cell but it's an ecosystem, a community of cells," says Emerson. "This study begins the groundwork for potentially finding a way to understand and dial back cell diversity and adaptability during chemotherapy to decrease drug resistance."

LIVERMORE, Calif. – New medications created by pharmaceutical companies have helped millions of Americans alleviate pain and suffering from their medical conditions. However, the drug creation process often misses many side effects that kill at least 100,000 patients a year, according to the journal Nature.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — They help fish swim, but fins also advertise a fish's social standing and health. In a new study, researchers report that for the male bluefin killifish (Lucania goodei), each colorful fin presents its own messages to other fish.

Researchers report their findings in the journal Behavioral Ecology.

Fairfax, Va., October 20, 2014—Tumor laterality (left-side vs. right-side) does not impact overall survival in breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant external beam radiation therapy, according to a study published in the October 1, 2014 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

WOODS HOLE, Mass.--A novel probe that reports on the electrical activity of cells, made by fusing tarantula toxin with a fluorescent compound, is described in a paper today by scientists from the University of California, Davis; the Neurobiology course at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL); and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The lead authors of the paper are Drew C. Tilley of UC-Davis and the late Kenneth Eum, a Ph.D. candidate at UC-Davis and teaching assistant in the MBL Neurobiology course.

People who visited their doctor at least twice a year were 3.2 times more likely to keep their blood pressure under control than those who saw their doctor once a year or less, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

Bottom Line: Patients using medication to treat asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), high blood pressure and using oral contraceptives (OC) often purchased cigarettes while filling prescriptions at pharmacies.

Author: Alexis A. Krumme, M.S., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues.

Bottom Line: A review of medical literature appears to confirm an association between genetic obesity susceptibility and postnatal gains in infant weight and length, as well as showing associations with both fat mass and lean mass in infancy and early childhood.

Author: Cathy E. Elks, Ph.D., of the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, England, and colleagues.