尽管神经嵴细胞群体可以产生包括颅面骨骼、皮肤色素和外周神经系统在内的各种衍生物，但现如今越来越认识到施万细胞的前体也是多潜能的。SWI/SNF（开关/蔗糖非发酵类）染色质重塑复合物的两个哺乳动物同源基因副本BAF（Brg1相关因子）和PBAF（polybromo相关BAF）在正常哺乳动物发育过程中对于神经嵴规格化至关重要。越来越多的证据表明，BAF和PBAF复合物成分中的致病性变异在神经嵴源性肿瘤的发病机制中起着核心作用。转基因小鼠模型显示，在发育的早期存在一个时间窗口，Smarcb1的致病性变异会导致形成恶性，分化差的肿瘤，如横纹肌瘤。相比之下，在发育的后期，Smarcb1的纯合失活需要其他致病性基因变异来推动源自神经嵴的成年分化性肿瘤的发展，在人类中具有相对较好的预后。

While the neural crest cell population gives rise to an extraordinary array of derivatives, including elements of the craniofacial skeleton, skin pigmentation, and peripheral nervous system, it is today increasingly recognized that Schwann cell precursors are also multipotent. Two mammalian paralogs of the SWI/SNF (switch/sucrose nonfermentable) chromatin-remodeling complexes, BAF (Brg1-associated factors) and PBAF (polybromo-associated BAF), are critical for neural crest specification during normal mammalian development. There is increasing evidence that pathogenic variants in components of the BAF and PBAF complexes play central roles in the pathogenesis of neural crest-derived tumors. Transgenic mouse models demonstrate a temporal window early in development where pathogenic variants in Smarcb1 result in the formation of aggressive, poorly differentiated tumors, such as rhabdoid tumors. By contrast, later in development, homozygous inactivation of Smarcb1 requires additional pathogenic variants in tumor suppressor genes to drive the development of differentiated adult neoplasms derived from the neural crest, which have a comparatively good prognosis in humans.