In the August 26th online edition of Stem Cells, Australian scientists R. Hotta et al. from the University of Melbourne reported their study results on induction of neural progenitors into neural crest-like cells (NCCs). With human embryonic stem cells, the investigators isolated neural progenitor cells (NPCs) through co-culturing with mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The study was based upon the premise that induction of NPCs into NCCs may provide a novel cell-based therapeutic for treating neurocristopathies such as Hirschsprung's Disease (an enteric bowel disease lacking a nervouse system due to the failure of NCCs migrating from the neuroectodermal epithelium during embryonic development of the bowels). The researchers developed a small molecule inhibitor (Y27632) of the Rho effectors (ROCKI/II) to markedly increase the efficiency in differentiation of NPCs into NCCs in vitro. In ovo studies revealed that induction of NPCs into NCCs by Y27632 resulted in NCCs migrating along the neural crest pathways during bowel formation in avian embyros. Bowel explants demonstrated that the NCCs differentiated into cells with neuronal and glial markers. The authors concluded that their "study demonstrates that small molecule regulators of ROCKI/II signalling may be valuable tools for stem cell research aimed at treatment of neurcristopathies."