Human microbial metabolites as a source of new drugs

•Bacterial metabolism of high fiber foods has proven benefits for human health.•Gut microbiota produce metabolites that interact with the human immune system.•There is new knowledge about which metabolites are ligands for human receptors.•Thus knowledge about host–metabolite interactions could reveal novel drug classes.

Crosstalk between the microbiome and the human host is mediated by specific ligand–receptor interactions involving microbially generated metabolites that can be either agonists or antagonists of human proteins. The evolved co-compatibility of gut microbiota with human systems points to a potentially rich area for discovering new drug-like molecules that are both highly specific modulators of human pathways and derisked for adverse effects. In this review, we discuss the rapidly growing research into the role of microbial metabolites in human health and suggest potential strategies for developing these molecules into therapeutic agents.