Mao et al. [15] found that microRNA (miR)-23a inhibited apoptosis of BMSCs induced by TNF-α through the regulation of caspase-7 in vitro, and that injection of BMSCs overexpressing miR-23a reduced infarct size and improved left ventricular (LV) function in a rat MI model, providing an alternative treatment strategy for patients with heart failure caused by MI who are not optimal candidates for surgical treatment. Here, TNF is linked to myocardial infarction.