Neural crest and cancer: Divergent travelers on similar paths

• Published in: Mechanisms of development Vol. 148; pp. 89 - 99
• Main Authors: Gallik, Kristin L., Treffy, Randall W., Nacke, Lynne M., Ahsan, Kamil, Rocha, Manuel, Green-Saxena, Abigail, Saxena, Ankur
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01-12-2017
• Subjects: Cancer; Cell Communication - genetics; Cell Movement - genetics; Collective migration; EMT; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Metastasis; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Neoplasms - genetics; Neoplasms - pathology; Neural Crest - growth & development; Neural crest stem cells; Neuroblastoma; Signal Transduction - genetics; NCCs; NC; CIL; Collective migration; Neuroblastoma; Metastasis; EMT; ECM; Neural crest stem cells; Cancer
• ISSN: 0925-4773; 1872-6356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2017.08.002

Neural crest cells are multipotent progenitors that dynamically interpret diverse microenvironments to migrate significant distances as a loosely associated collective and contribute to many tissues in the developing vertebrate embryo. Uncovering details of neural crest migration has helped to inform a general understanding of collective cell migration, including that which occurs during cancer metastasis. Here, we discuss several commonalities and differences of neural crest and cancer cell migration and behavior. First, we focus on some of the molecular pathways required for the initial specification and potency of neural crest cells and the roles of many of these pathways in cancer progression. We also describe epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, which plays a critical role in initiating both neural crest migration and cancer metastasis. Finally, we evaluate studies that demonstrate myriad forms of cell-cell and cell-environment communication during neural crest and cancer collective migration to highlight the remarkable similarities in their molecular and cell biological regulation.
•Neural crest migration has significant similarities with cancer metastasis.•Questions remain regarding the potency of neural crest and cancer stem cells.•Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is closely tied to collective migration.•Cell-cell and cell-environment communication are critical for collective migration.