Abstract: Objective To investigate induced neural stem/progenitor cells (iNSCs) from human fibroblasts. Methods Human fibroblasts were infected with lenti-virus expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under Pax6 promoter, followed by a hygromycin-resistant gene. Hygromycin-selected fibroblasts were used as starter cells and infected with virus encoding 10 transcription factors Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc, Tcf3, Ascl1, Brn2, Neurog2, Foxg1, Hes1, Id1, which play critical roles in the development, differentiation, functional stability, and plasticity of neural cells. The reprogrammed cells that were GFP-positive were sorted by using flow cytometer and characterized by fluorescence staining and differentiation assay. Results iNSC expressed NSC markers (Nestin) and could differentiate into neurons(β Ⅲ- tubulin) and astrocytes(GFAP). Conclusion Human fibroblasts can be converted to NSC-likes cells by 10 transcription factors.

Key words: Key words: induced neural stem/progenitor cells, human fibroblast, reprogramming, transcription factors, pax6 reporter gene