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White matter injury is brain damage that occurs in premature infants, affecting the nerve fibers that allow different parts of the brain to communicate. It's the leading cause of cerebral palsy and lifelong developmental disabilities in preterm babies. Currently, there is no treatment available—doctors can only provide supportive care and hope the baby's brain compensates on its own.

Necrotizing enterocolitis is a devastating intestinal disease that primarily affects premature infants, where portions of the bowel become inflamed and begin to die. It affects up to 10% of very low birth weight infants and carries a mortality rate of 20-30%. Current treatment is limited to stopping feeds, antibiotics, and often emergency surgery to remove dead tissue—but there is no preventive therapy or medication that can halt the disease progression once it begins.

Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus occurs when bleeding in the brain (common in premature infants) blocks the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid, causing dangerous pressure buildup that can damage developing brain tissue. It affects 25-50% of preterm infants who experience brain hemorrhages. Treatment currently requires invasive surgical procedures to drain excess fluid—either through repeated spinal taps or permanent shunt placement—but nothing exists to prevent the condition or reduce the inflammation that causes the blockage.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease where the immune system attacks the protective coating around nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord, causing progressive disability. Over 2.8 million people worldwide live with MS, experiencing symptoms from fatigue and vision problems to paralysis. Existing treatments can slow disease progression and manage flare-ups, but cannot repair damaged myelin or reverse disability once it occurs.

Inflammatory bowel disease includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis—chronic conditions where the immune system attacks the digestive tract, causing severe inflammation, pain, and damage to the intestinal lining. Current treatments focus on suppressing the immune system to reduce inflammation, but they often lose effectiveness over time, carry significant side effects, and cannot heal the underlying tissue damage that leads to complications.