Neural crest development and disorders: from patient to model system and back again - the NEUcrest conference

The neural crest (NC) is an embryonic multipotent and transitory population of cells that appears during late gastrulation/early neurulation in the developing embryos of vertebrate organisms. Often called "the fourth germ layer", the NC is characterised by incredible mobility, which allows the NC cells to migrate throughout the whole embryo, giving rise to an astonishing number of different derivatives in the adult organism, such as craniofacial skeleton, adrenal gland, enteric nervous system and melanocytes. Because of these properties, neurocristopathies (NCPs), which is the term used to classify genetic diseases associated with NC developmental defects, are often syndromic and, taken all together, are the most common type of genetic disease. The NEUcrest consortium is an EU funded innovative training network (ITN) that aims to study the NC and NCPs. In March 2024, the early stage researchers (ESRs) in the NEUcrest consortium organised an in-person conference for well-established and early career researchers to discuss new advances in the NC and NCPs field, starting from the induction of the NC, and then moving on to migration and differentiation processes they undergo. The conference focused heavily on NCPs associated with each of these steps. The conference also included events, such as a round table to discuss the future of the NC research, plus a talk by a person living with an NCP. This 3-day conference aimed to bring together the past, present and future of this field to try and unravel the mysteries of this unique cell population.