US Patent Issued to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York on Sept. 29 for "Mutant NGAL proteins and uses thereof" (New York Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 30 -- United States Patent no. 12,746,270, issued on Sept. 29, was assigned to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (New York).

"Mutant NGAL proteins and uses thereof" was invented by Jonathan Barasch (New York) and Andong Qiu (Bronx, N.Y.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "In one aspect the present invention is directed to mutant Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) proteins that have the ability to bind to siderophores, such as enterochelin, and to chelate and transport iron, and that are excreted in the urine. Such NGAL mutants, and complexes thereof with siderophores, can be used to clear excess iron from the body, for example in the ...