In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine, two complementary articles reinforce the notion that Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and Tie2 receptor expressing monocytes/macrophages (TEM) team up to promote reparative vascularization in limb ischemia (LI; Hamm et al, 2013; Patel et al, 2013). This evidence concerns the gene ANGPT1 and limb ischemia.