This concept is reinforced by the observations that CNP protects against myocardial infarction (MI)-induced hypertrophy15,16, that cardiac production of CNP increases substantially and correlates with severity in patients with heart failure (HF),17–19 and that the chimeric CD-NP exerts a potent beneficial effect in pre-clinical models of cardiac fibrosis.20 Here, CNP is linked to hydrops fetalis.