Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.
Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2013 Feb 1;5(2):a008326. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a008326.
Neural crest cells (NCCs) comprise a multipotent, migratory cell population that generates a diverse array of cell and tissue types during vertebrate development. These include cartilage and bone, tendons, and connective tissue, as well as neurons, glia, melanocytes, and endocrine and adipose cells; this remarkable lineage potential persists into adult life. Taken together with a limited capacity for self-renewal, neural crest cells bear the hallmarks of stem and progenitor cells and are considered to be synonymous with vertebrate evolution. The neural crest has provided a system for exploring the mechanisms that govern developmental processes such as morphogenetic induction, cell migration, and fate determination. Today, much of the focus on neural crest cells revolves around their stem cell-like characteristics and potential for use in regenerative medicine. A thorough understanding of the signals and switches that govern mammalian neural crest patterning is central to potential therapeutic application of these cells and better appreciation of the role that neural crest cells play in vertebrate evolution, development, and disease.
神经嵴细胞（NCC）是一种多能、迁移性的细胞群体，在脊椎动物发育过程中产生多种细胞和组织类型。这些包括软骨和骨骼、肌腱和结缔组织，以及神经元、神经胶质细胞、黑素细胞、内分泌和脂肪细胞；这种显著的谱系潜能一直持续到成年期。神经嵴细胞具有有限的自我更新能力，具有干细胞和祖细胞的特征，被认为是脊椎动物进化的同义词。神经嵴为探索控制发育过程的机制提供了一个系统，如形态发生诱导、细胞迁移和命运决定。如今，神经嵴细胞的研究重点主要集中在其干细胞样特征及其在再生医学中的应用潜力上。深入了解调节哺乳动物神经嵴模式形成的信号和开关对于这些细胞的潜在治疗应用以及更好地理解神经嵴细胞在脊椎动物进化、发育和疾病中的作用至关重要。
