Mechanisms involved in selecting and maintaining neuroblastoma cancer stem cell populations, and perspectives for therapeutic targeting

Figure 1 Neural crest formation and behaviour. Initiation, formation and delamination of the neural crest (red). A: This process initiates during early gastrulation with specification of the neural plate border (orange) that separates the neural plate and non-neural ectoderm; B: As the neural folds form, the process proceeds through phases of neural crest (NC) induction; C: NC Specification; and D: Terminates upon neural fold closure and neural tube formation, with NC cell epithelial to mesenchymal transition, delamination and migration. NP: neural plate; NPB: neural plate border; NC: Neural crest; NF: neural fold; NT: neural tube; EMT: Epithelial to mesenchymal transition; non Neural Ecto: non-neural ectoderm.