CXCR4 and myocardial infarction: In agreement with previous reports showing transfusion of CXCR4 over-expressing EPCs or cardiac progenitor cells has better efficacy than CXCR4 low-expressing cells in treating hindlimb ischemia and myocardial infarction [14], [46], our data showed that Ad-CXCR4 primed EPCs have better effects over EPCs in alleviating cerebral damage (decreasing the infarct volume, improving neurologic deficits) and promoting cerebral repair (increasing cMVD, angiogenesis and neurogenesis).