Eight weeks after MI, transplantation of fibroblasts stably transfected to express SDF-1 and increase the homing of CD117+ (also called c-kit+) MSCs into the peri-infarct zone of syngeneic rat hearts resulted in greater LV mass and better cardiac function, suggesting the important role of SDF-1 to induce MSCs homing to injured myocardium [53]. This evidence concerns the gene CXCL12 and myocardial infarction.