Journal article

Small-molecule induction of neural crest-like cells derived from human neural progenitors

R Hotta, L Pepdjonovic, RB Anderson, D Zhang, AJ Bergner, J Leung, A Pébay, HM Young, DF Newgreen, M Dottori

Stem Cells | WILEY | Published : 2009

Abstract

Neural crest (NC) cells are stem cells that are specified within the embryonic neuroectodermal epithelium and migrate to stereotyped peripheral sites for differentiation into many cell types. Several neurocristopathies involve a deficit of NC-derived cells, raising the possibility of stem cell therapy. In Hirschsprung's disease the distal bowel lacks an enteric nervous system caused by a failure of colonization by NC-derived cells. We have developed a robust method of producing migrating NC-like cells from human embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors using a coculture system of mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Significantly, subsequent exposure to Y27632, a small-molecule inhibitor of th..

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University of Melbourne Researchers