Generating neural stem cells (NSCs) from astroglia as an abundant cell type in the mammalian brain has a promising outlook to be used in cell‐replacement therapy for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders and neuronal trauma. However, little is known about a single reprogramming factor that may lead to the generation of induced NSCs (iNSCs) from adult brain‐derived astrocytes in the absence of extrinsic inductive signals. Here, we show that zinc‐finger nuclear protein Zfp521 alone is sufficient for converting the adult mouse brain‐derived astrocytes into iNSCs. In vitro, Zfp521‐iNSCs demonstrated long‐term self‐renewal and multipotency and expressed related markers. Moreover, single‐seeded iNSCs were able to produce NSC colonies. These results suggest that application of Zfp521 to generate iNSCs could be regarded as a new approach for conversion of resident astrocytes into iNSCs in cell therapy for in vivo treatment of neural injuries.

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