Replenishing myocardial VEGF expression increased capillary density, decreased apoptosis of endothelial cells and cardiomyocytes, attenuated in situ differentiation of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells into endothelial cells, and significant improvements in cardiac function, thus suggesting the critical role of VEGF in the pathophysiology of DCM (38). Here, VEGFA is linked to familial dilated cardiomyopathy.