Muscle Derived Cells For The Treatment Of Gastro-Esophageal Pathologies And Methods Of Making And Using The Same

A method of increasing lower esophageal sphincter pressure in a mammalian subject comprising:

• (a) isolating skeletal muscle cells from the mammalian subject;
• (b) cooling the cells to a temperature lower than 10° C. and storing the cells for 1-7 days;
• (c) suspending the mammalian skeletal muscle cells in media in a first cell culture container to which fibroblast cells of the skeletal muscle cells adhere, for between 30 and 120 minutes;
• (d) decanting the media containing non-adherent cells from the first cell culture container to a second cell culture container;
• (e) allowing the remaining non-adherent cells in the media in step (d) to attach to the walls of the second cell culture container;
• (f) isolating the cells from the walls of the second cell culture container, wherein the isolated cells are muscle-derived progenitor cells (MDCs);
• (g) culturing the isolated MDCs to expand their number;
• (h) freezing the MDCs to a temperature below −30° C.;
• (i) thawing the MDCs;
• and
• (j) administering the MDCs to the esophagus of the mammalian subject, thereby increasing lower esophageal sphincter pressure by at least about 50% in the mammalian subject.