In a mouse model of MI, ischemic hearts injected with c-kit+ cardiac stem cells (CSCs) display higher angiopoietin-like 2 expression and staining for EC marker PECAM-1 in peri-infarct areas, suggesting that c-kit+ cells can differentiate into ECs and promote angiogenesis in vivo in these hypoxic sites (42). This evidence concerns the gene KIT and myocardial infarction.