Transplantation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells to repair myelination disorders in neonatal rats with white matter injury

• Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation promotes oligodendrocyte lineage maturation and myelin repair in neonatal rats with white matter injury. • The therapeutic effect is associated with upregulation of myelin basic protein and downregulation of neural/glial antigen 2, indicating a shift from progenitor to mature oligodendrocytes. • Transplantation improves spatial learning and memory as evidenced by reduced escape latency and increased platform crossings in the Morris water maze. • The study supports the potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells as a therapeutic strategy for preterm white matter injury.