Abstract: The present invention relates broadly to methods for stimulating neural progenitor cell migration to certain regions of the nervous system where the neural progenitor cell naturally would not migrate. These methods have wide interest in fields related to the development of therapeutic approaches for addressing a broad range of neurodegenerative and demyelinating pathologies of the central nervous system. In order to accomplish these various outcomes, the invention provides modalities for introducing into a cell of the CNS a substance that promotes polysialylation of a protein component of the cell. This process underlies various methods of the invention, such as a method of polysialylating a protein of the cell, a method of promoting migration of a neural progenitor cell from a first region of a brain to a second region of the brain, or a method of promoting a neural progenitor cell originating in a first region of a brain to differentiate in a second region of the brain.