# Preventing Vascular Complications in Type 1 Diabetes: Muscle Metabolic Monitoring

> **NIH NIH R42** · INFRARED RX, INC. · 2020 · $670,513

## Abstract

Preventing Vascular Complications in Type 1 Diabetes: Muscle Metabolic Monitoring
Abstract
Measurements of muscle metabolism and blood flow using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) have
progressively increased, as has the number of companies selling NIRS-based devices. This technology
represents the present and future modality for non-invasively characterizing normal and abnormal muscle
physiology in health as well as in common, disabling conditions such as Type 1 diabetes (T1D). There is evidence
that for people with T1D, health and functional status can be related to impaired microcirculation and muscle
mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, exercise training or other treatment programs to improve symptoms could
be evaluated using NIRS-based measurements. Presently, however, there is a lack of commercially available
options for obtaining these valuable measurements in clinical settings where they would have the greatest
impact. Pilot data from the Exercise Muscle Physiology Lab at the University of Georgia demonstrates both the
clinical and research need for this NIRS-based platform, while revealing an important opportunity to
commercialize the technology. Our Phase I proposal demonstrated success in evaluating younger adults with
T1D, produced working prototypes for the NIRS data analysis program, and developed our initial marketing
survey. Our technology is able to yield non-invasively a “vital sign” measure of mitochondrial function in this
population that could potentially be used to determine risk or to make a clinical decision. In order to achieve the
clinical and commercial potential, start up support is needed to refine processes of setting up, performing, and
analyzing measurements of muscle metabolism and blood flow on a wide-scale basis. To affirm the applicability
of this technology in a broader, cohort, in Phase II we will apply this technology to evaluate older adults with
T1D. We will scale our discoveries into a commercially viable product of value to both the research and clinical
communities by refining our automated analysis platform for NIRS-derived measures of skeletal muscle
mitochondrial capacity. We will streamline data acquisition such that novice users can at low cost obtain reliable
and consistent NIRS-derived measurements of muscle mitochondrial function. Finally, we will develop a
pathway for accessing a clinical market by a) focused research on the clinical market best suited for our
technology and b) pursuit of the regulatory steps required to access these markets.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10022325
- **Project number:** 5R42DK112497-03
- **Recipient organization:** INFRARED RX, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Kevin K. McCully
- **Activity code:** R42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $670,513
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-18 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10022325

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10022325, Preventing Vascular Complications in Type 1 Diabetes: Muscle Metabolic Monitoring (5R42DK112497-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10022325. Licensed CC0.

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