HGF and myocardial infarction: Immediate administration of adenoviral vectors carrying the HGF gene into the left ventricular (LV) wall surrounding the infarct areas of the aged rat heart induced necroptosis that seemed to facilitate aged heart repair after MI by promoting c-kit+ CSC proliferation and differentiation [45]; previous work in the porcine model also described activation of pro-survival pathways by HGF, inducing cardiomyocyte proliferation, and improving heart perfusion and cardiac function in pigs with chronic MI [46].