Particularly, mice with cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of CXADR developed severe cardiomyopathy, manifested by disorganization and degeneration of the cardiomyocytes, in association with activation of the beta-catenin signaling pathway and/or disruption of the adherens junctions, and died by four weeks. This evidence concerns the gene CXADR and cardiomyopathy.