Patent Issued for Mutant NGAL proteins and uses thereof (USPTO 12173037).

A patent has been issued to Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York for mutant NGAL proteins that can be used to treat iron overload and urinary tract infections. These mutant proteins are designed to be excreted in urine, unlike wild-type NGAL, and have bacteriostatic activity. The invention involves specific amino acid mutations that allow the mutant NGAL proteins to bind to iron-binding siderophores and facilitate iron excretion in the urine. [Extracted from the article]