Researchers have discovered that loss of the protein adseverin may be associated with the cartilage degradation characteristic of osteoarthritis, according to a novel study published by Chan et al in Science Advances. The researchers found that adseverin may be more prevalent in patients with healthy articular cartilage, where it regulated the structural scaffolding of filamentous actin. When adseverin was deleted in mouse models, the filamentous actin diminished, cartilage cells lost their protective layer, and cartilage regeneration was inhibited; further, the remaining cartilage cells produced hypertrophic chondrocytes that caused cartilage calcification and tissue stiffness, as well as decreased hyaline. These alterations were found to amplify the severity of osteoarthritis. The researchers concluded that adseverin may be responsible for maintaining the articular chondrocyte phenotype and articular cartilage homeostasis—and that targeting the protein may help prevent the development of osteoarthritis.