For decades, research has linked coffee consumption to longer life and lower risk of chronic disease — but exactly how those benefits occur has remained unclear.

Now, new research from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) suggests that compounds in coffee may work, in part, by activating a receptor in the body known as NR4A1 — a protein increasingly recognized for its role in aging, stress response and disease.

Nerve fibers within melanomas can slow the growth of these tumors, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings help clarify the emerging field of cancer neuroscience and may inform future therapeutic strategies.

In a study published today in Nature, a University of Pittsburgh team found that eating creates a temporary metabolic state that influences the function of T cells –  immune cells that help the body detect and fight infection and disease, including cancer. In experiments in mice and humans, T cells collected after a meal showed a metabolic and functional advantage over those collected after fasting. The findings suggest that eating can have a lasting effect on how immune cells respond when they are activated –  a factor that could be relevant for T cell–based immunotherapies, such as CAR‑T cell therapy, as well as for responses to infection.