Yao Fei Hu

TL;DR: The data show that the adult mouse whisker follicle contains pluripotent neural crest stem cells, termed epidermal neural crest cells (eNCSC), which are promising candidates for diverse cell therapy paradigms because of their high degree of inherent plasticity and due to their easy accessibility in the skin.

TL;DR: Data indicate that intraspinal EPI-NCSC demonstrate several desirable characteristics that may include local neural replacement and re-myelination, as well as the ability to differentiate into all major neural crest derivatives.

TL;DR: The first transcriptome for mouse epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI‐NCSC), formerly eNCSCs, is reported and an NCSC molecular signature is defined that consists of a panel of 19 genes and is representative of both EPI‐ NCSC and NCSC.

TL;DR: Epidermal neural crest stem cell transplants in the contused spinal cord caused a 24% improvement in sensory connectivity and a substantial recovery of touch perception and a novel method for the ex vivo expansion of EPI-NCSC into millions of stem cells that takes advantage of the migratory ability of Neural crest stem cells.

TL;DR: Loss of NET function during embryonic development in the mouse deregulates signaling pathways that are critically involved in neural crest formation and noradrenergic cell differentiation, suggesting deregulation of signaling pathways in the development and/or function of the NET-deficient peripheral, central and enteric nervous systems.