N R Chevalier, E Gazguez, L Bidault, T Guilbert, C Vias, E Vian, Y Watanabe, L Muller, S Germain, N Bondurand, S Dufour, V Fleury
Neural crest cells (NCCs) are a population of multipotent cells that migrate extensively during vertebrate development. Alterations to neural crest ontogenesis cause several diseases, including cancers and congenital defects, such as Hirschprung disease, which results from incomplete colonization of the colon by enteric NCCs (ENCCs). We investigated the influence of the stiffness and structure of the environment on ENCC migration in vitro and during colonization of the gastrointestinal tract in chicken and mouse embryos...
February 18, 2016: Scientific Reports