GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) produce common neural progenitor-like hMSC induced neurospheres (hMSC IN). We postulate that proteoglycans, specifically heparan sulfate proteoglycans, are instrumental to convert hMSC to hMSC IN and that hMSC IN are equivalent to common neural progenitor cells retaining neural differentiation capacity to produce critical neural cell types for therapy following neurodegeneration triggered by trauma or disease. (Image parts from: Ivins et al., 1997; Johnson et al., 2007; Eatman, 2011; Williams, 2016).