04/06/2026
Ottawa, Ontario — Thursday June 4, 2026
Children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are known to develop fragile bones and have an increased risk of fractures, driven by multiple factors including the underlying muscle disease itself, side effects from steroid medications, and muscle inflammation.
Bone and muscle “talk” to each other through hormone communication, and healthy muscles contribute to healthy bones – and vice versa – so disease in one tissue can affect the other. A new study from Hugh McMillan followed over 150 boys with DMD enrolled in a clinical study to provide a detailed picture of how bone health is disrupted in DMD.
“Children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their families see the impact of fragile bones. This research helps us better understand why it’s happening, so we can work toward new treatment options so kids can stay active longer and maintain a better quality of life.” – Dr. Hugh McMillan
The research describes multiple pathways involved in building and breaking down bone that are out of balance, with signs that inflammation may play an important role. Most notably, the inflammatory factor Muscle-derived interleukin-6 (IL-6), which sets off a chain of events when it binds to its IL–6 receptor that leads to increased bone reabsorption.
Therapies aimed at blocking IL–6 signaling are now being tested in clinical trials as a potential therapeutic option of reducing bone demineralization.
It is hoped that this work may give rise to more targeted treatments, with the goal of reducing fractures and improving long–term outcomes for children with DMD.