Given these promising results in vivo, we sought to determine if the second generation orally available RGD-mimetic prodrug 29P, which we have shown harbours a pro-VEGF stimulated angiogenic effect in subcutaneous tumours and in ex vivo aortic ring sprouting assays [21], would confer similar cardioprotective properties to ldCil in a TAC model of pressure-overload induced cardiac hypertrophy and HF. The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is hydrops fetalis.