Cell replacement using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) is being actively pursued as a therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological diseases which altogether affect over 7 million people in the US. Recent research efforts in the field have been focused on deriving the neurons from iPS cells which requires reprogramming and subsequent re-differentiation. This lengthy and difficult process increases the risk of developing neoplasia and contamination with unwanted cell types. To avoid reprogramming via a pluripotent state, scientists at UNMC have developed a new method of inducing neural progenitor cells (NPCs) from dermal fibroblasts with a novel set of 5 transcription factors. These induced NPCs are capable of giving rise to multiple types of neural cells including neurons, astrocytes, and region specific neurons. The induced NPCs also exhibit chemotactic responses similar to primary NPCs. These cells are a useful tool for neurological disease research and the development of cell-based therapies. Furthermore these cells can be used to develop drug screening platforms for the discovery of NPC-inducing compounds.