To observe the effect of NLRP3 inhibition by MCC950 on NEC-associated acute injury in the brain, sagittal sections were obtained, and HE staining as well as histological scoring showed that MCC950 treatment could obviously reverse the neuronal damage (Fig. 4a), although it had no significant effect on brain weight and brain/body weight ratio of NEC pups (Supplementary Figure 4). The gene discussed is NLRP3; the disease is necrotizing enterocolitis.