He YL, Chen SJ, Xia DS, Song WP. Neural crest-derived mesenchymal stem cells: Fates and perspectives. World J Stem Cells 2025; 17(9): 107689 [DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i9.107689]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Wen-Peng Song, DDS, Postdoc, Department of Stomatology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 119 South Fourth Ring West Road, Beijing 100070, China. 15011482782@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Cell Biology
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Stem Cells. Sep 26, 2025; 17(9): 107689 Published online Sep 26, 2025. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i9.107689
Neural crest-derived mesenchymal stem cells: Fates and perspectives
Yi-Lin He, Si-Jia Chen, Deng-Sheng Xia, Wen-Peng Song
Yi-Lin He, Department of General Dentistry and Emergency Dental Care, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Beijing 100050, China
Si-Jia Chen, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic and Traumatic Surgery, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Beijing 100050, China
Deng-Sheng Xia, Department of General Dentistry and Integrated Emergency Dental Care, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
Wen-Peng Song, Department of Stomatology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
Co-first authors: Yi-Lin He and Si-Jia Chen.
Co-corresponding authors: Deng-Sheng Xia and Wen-Peng Song.
Author contributions: He YL and Chen SJ contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-first authors of this manuscript. Xia DS and Song WP contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-corresponding authors of this manuscript. He YL and Song WP contributed to the data collection and manuscript writing; Chen SJ, Xia DS, and Song WP contributed to the study design and supervision. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82270951.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Wen-Peng Song, DDS, Postdoc, Department of Stomatology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 119 South Fourth Ring West Road, Beijing 100070, China. 15011482782@163.com
Received: March 28, 2025 Revised: April 25, 2025 Accepted: August 8, 2025 Published online: September 26, 2025 Processing time: 180 Days and 16.2 Hours
Abstract
Neural crest-derived mesenchymal stem cells (NC-MSCs) represent a unique population with remarkable regenerative potential, owing to their embryonic origin and exceptional differentiation capacity. These cells demonstrate superior performance in neural and craniofacial tissue regeneration compared to conventional mesenchymal stem cells, with dental stem cells emerging as particularly promising candidates for clinical applications in periodontics and endodontics. Despite their therapeutic promise, adult NC-MSCs face significant challenges including donor site limitations, cellular heterogeneity, and scalability issues. Recent advances in pluripotent stem cell offer potential solutions through the generation of NC-MSCs in vitro, though safety concerns regarding tumorigenicity and long-term stability remain to be addressed through comprehensive preclinical studies. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of NC-MSC biology, highlighting their developmental origins, molecular characteristics, and current applications in regenerative medicine. We critically evaluate existing challenges and future directions, emphasizing the need for standardized protocols, improved characterization methods, and rigorous preclinical evaluation to facilitate clinical translation and therapeutic implementation.
Core Tip: Recent studies have revealed the distribution and functions of neural crest (NC)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in various tissues, with regenerative therapies based on these cells showing positive results in research and clinical practice. Future research focuses on optimizing therapeutic strategies (timing, dosage), expanding clinical applications, and addressing current challenges. Several approaches aim to solve issues like insufficient cell numbers, heterogeneity, and trauma. Notably, MSCs differentiated from pluripotent stem cells via NC pathways show promise as a stable NC-derived MSC source, potentially overcoming current limitations in clinical applications.
