Dongcheng Zhang

TL;DR: These studies are the first to identify a multipotent neural progenitor derived from hPSCs, that is the precursor for major neural lineages of the embryonic caudal neural tube.

TL;DR: This study develops 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 and demonstrates that small‐molecule regulators of ROCKI/II signaling may be valuable tools for stem cell research aimed at treatment of neurocristopathies.

TL;DR: Early VNCC, although migratory, are incapable of migrating in appropriate chains in gut mesenchyme, but can be primed for this by retinoic acid, which is the first instance of the characteristic form of NCC migration, chain migration, being attributed to the application of a morphogen.

TL;DR: It is concluded that cranial NC, relative to trunk NC, has a positionally-determined proliferation advantage favouring ENS formation, which has important implications for proposed NC stem cell therapy for Hirschsprung's disease, since such cells may need to be optimised for positional identity.

TL;DR: In this article, a small molecule inhibitor of the Rho effectors ROCKI/II, Y27632, has been shown to increase the efficiency of differentiation into neural crest cells.