Cardiac Neural Crest Development

Cardiac neural crest contribution to the forming heart.

Cardiac neural crest (CNC) cells migrate from the neural tube to the circumpharyngeal ridge (i.e.,circumpharyngeal crest) , caudal pharyngeal arches (third, fourth, and sixth), and outflow tract (OFT) just before asymmetrical remodeling of the aortic arch arteries. Some of the CNC cells migrate in and envelop the nascent aortic arch arteries, while others continue to migrate and eventually colonize to later form the aorticopulmonary septum.