Mechanistically, acetate produced by B. pseudolongum reached the liver via the portal vein, where it bound to GPR43 (G-protein-coupled receptor 43), whose activation blocked the IL-6/JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway, thereby blocking pro-inflammatory cascades and preventing NAFLD-HCC progression. The gene discussed is FFAR2; the disease is metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.