Neural Crest Stem Cells Breakthroughs and Applications

The book offers readers an understanding of the development of neural crest cells, which is crucial as many birth defects and tumours are of neural crest origin. The neural crest is a transient tissue of the vertebrate embryo. It originates from the future spinal cord and neural crest stem cells emigrate from this location to various places in the embryo, giving rise to many different cell types and tissues. Neural crest derivatives include the peripheral nervous systems, endocrine cells such as the adrenal medulla, smooth musculature of the cardiac outflow tract and great blood vessels, as well as craniofacial bone and cartilage. The underlying mechanisms that regulate embryonic neural crest development are still being investigated and are important for our understanding of neural crest pathologies. Readers will have ready access to current research topics, elaborated in great detail, with a focus on adult neural crest-derived stem cells, which persist in various locations of the postnatal organism. Delving into stem cells from different locations of the body, the book explores the best possible source of such cells for future use in medical applications.