These results suggest that cell retention may not only be determined by total VCAM-1 expression, and could have been influenced by other factors, including (i) different composition of the injected BMMNCs at 3 vs 7 days post-AMI, and (ii) simultaneous changes in endothelial expression levels of other adhesion factors such as E-selectin [33], P-selectin [34] or ICAM-1 [35] from 3 to 7 days post-infarction, thereby masking an effect of the increased VCAM-1 expression at 3 compared to 7 days. The gene discussed is VCAM1; the disease is infarction.