Melanocytes and Schwann cells are derived from the multipotent population of 
neural crest cells. Although both cell types were thought to be generated 
through completely distinct pathways and molecular processes, a recent study has 
revealed that these different cell types are intimately interconnected far 
beyond previously postulated limits in that they share a common post-neural 
crest progenitor, i.e. the Schwann cell precursor. This finding raises 
interesting questions about the lineage relationships of hitherto unrelated cell 
types such as melanocytes and Schwann cells, and may provide clinical insights 
into mechanisms of pigmentation disorders and for cancer involving Schwann cells 
and melanocytes.