Microbiome-derived therapy advanced as researchers reported Bifidobacterium-derived nanoparticles that combat alcoholic liver disease via mechanisms linked to biophysical and inflammatory pathways. The work, led by Gu, Meng, Yao and colleagues, positions probiotic-derived nano-therapeutics as a potential hepatology platform. On the infection side, an intestinal pathogen study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center described how enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis reprograms host metabolism to create an oxidative niche that supports colonization and disease. The mechanism centered on the pathogen’s Bacteroides fragilis toxin (BTF), suggesting potential targets to disrupt pathogen–host metabolic coupling. Together, the studies reinforce a drug discovery strategy that targets host-microbe metabolic interactions rather than only single microbial components.