Objectives Neural stem cells ( NSCs) are self-renewing, undifferentiated and multipotent precursors that can generate neuronal and glial lineages. Micro RNAs (mi RNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that act crucial roles in cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. However, the role of miR-1297 in the development of NSCs is still unknown. Materials and methods Primary NSCs were isolated from rat's embryos. The expression of miR-1297 and Hes1 were measured by qRT- PCR. Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression of Hes1, β-tubulin- III and GFAP. Results We showed that miR-1297 expression was upregulated during NSC differentiation, while the expression of Hes1 was decreased during NSC differentiation. Elevated expression of miR-1297 promoted the NSCs viability and increased the formation of NSCs to neurospheres. Ecoptic expression of miR-1297 promoted β-tubulin- III expression in the NSCs. Overexpression of miR-1297 decreased GFAP expression in the NSCs. Furthermore, we demonstrated that miR-1297 regulated NSCs viability and differentiation by directly targeting Hes1. Overexpression of miR-1297 suppressed Hes1 expression in the NSCs. Conclusions These results suggested that miR-1297 played an important role in NSCs viability and differentiation through inhibiting Hes1 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]