{"paper_id":"15978b9a-3e4b-44f8-a23c-ab0e8d6d86fd","body_text":"Abstract\nDuring embryonic development, neural crest cells (NCCs) represent a multipotent population characterized by an inherently transient nature, rapidly differentiating into various lineages. This instability has presented a fundamental challenge, as it is exceedingly difficult to maintain these cells in a stable, multipotent state in vitro. In this study, we report a robust culture system dependent on Wnt and FGF signaling that enables the long-term (>6 months) expansion of human iPSC-derived neural crest stem cells (NCSCs). These NCSCs retain their self-renewal and differentiation capacity, validated at the single-cell clonal level. ATAC-seq analysis indicated that posterior NCSCs maintain a more permissive chromatin structure at neuronal gene loci. Furthermore, ChIP-seq analysis revealed that the key transcription factor SOX10 binds to the regulatory regions of genes involved in both maintenance and differentiation. This system provides a stable source of human NCSCs, offering a valuable platform for developmental biology, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine.\nCompeting Interest Statement\nThe authors declare the following financial and personal relationships that may be considered as competing interests: Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. provided financial support for this work.","source_license":"CC-BY-4.0","license_restricted":false}