the surrounding ectoderm and the underlying mesoderm, including bone morphogenetic proteins, Wnts and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), orchestrate a combinatorial expression of transcription factors that drive NC specification and morphogenesis. NC cells undergo an epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), migrate along restricted pathways through the embryo and contribute to nearly every organ system in the body, including the craniofacial skeleton, melanocytes, endocrine cells and the peripheral nervous system. Developmental disturbances in the NC, which are collectively referred to as neurocristopathies, encompass defects in NC specification, migration and differentiation, and include tumors of NC lineages, such as neuroblastoma and melanoma (Zhang et al., 2014). EMT and cell migration are hallmarks of both NC development and cancer metastasis (Powell et al., 2013).
