Isolation of pulsatile cell bodies from esophageal tissue

Pulsatile cell bodies, three-dimensional cell clusters with satellite streaming cells, can be isolated from -esophageal tissue. One of the key features of these clusters is that they pulsate at rhythmic rates and demonstrate contractility under several in vitro conditions. Their ability to pulsate appears to be due to the presence of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which mediate signal transmission from nerve to muscle cells. As predicted, the cells comprising these clusters express phenotypic and genotypic markers characteristic of smooth and skeletal muscle, neuronal, and epithelial cells. Because of the critical role of ICC in gastrointestinal tract motility, loss of function in these cells can result in a variety of pathologies. Cultures of pulsatile cell bodies may have utility as an in vitro model to study tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches to treating defects in gastrointestinal rhythmicity due to disease or injury.