The present invention relates to a method of producing radial glial cells from neural stem cells, particularly by contacting neural stem cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) and/or TGF. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) can optionally be added to enhance the effect of EGF, FGF-1 or TGF. Also provided are methods of producing radial glial cells from ependymal cells, as well as methods of proliferating ependymal cells.