The reparative effects of colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1), and anti-inflammatory interleukins 4/6/13 (IL4/6/13) have been evaluated in vitro and in a predictive in vivo model of ischemia (the skin flap model) to optimize a new immunomodulatory biomaterial that we use for treating infarcted rat hearts. The gene discussed is CSF2; the disease is ischemia.