Southwest Immunology, Inc. (SWI), was founded in 1984 and is located in Ennis, Texas, the official Bluebonnet capital of the
state. The animal facilities for producing antibodies are located east of
Ennis in the town of Bristol on a family-owned farm operating since 1869.
Originally, the company was set up to support research
in the field of Alzheimer’s disease. Since
that time, SWI has expanded its line of products and now specializes in
neuroscience antibodies for research in the field of degenerative neurological
diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Prion diseases.
The year 1995 was momentous for
both the field of Alzheimer’s disease research and SWI when a presenilin gene
was cloned for a hereditary form of Alzheimer’s disease. At that time, the
company realized the potential to bring this and other exciting new antibodies
to the market. Having the expertise
and available facilities, SWI began using larger animals to accommodate the
expansion of its operations. Within
a matter of months following the gene’s publication, SWI was the first to
commercially introduce a peptide antibody to the presenilin-1 protein.
Since that time, SWI has been the first to market several other products,
including the Parkin peptide antibody. The number of antibodies produced by SWI
has increased dramatically and the company has also seen expansion into
international markets. SWI
constantly monitors research in the various fields of degenerative neurological
diseases for possible new antibodies. As
a result, “cutting edge” products are currently in various stages of
planning.
Research utilizing SWI antibodies has been published in a number of noted
journals including NeuroReport.
Immunofluorescent pictures using one of SWI’s antibodies was featured on the
front cover of the journal FEBS Letters
(January 2000).
Working in a new direction, SWI is collaborating with
researchers in developing antibodies to measure oxidative stress, which may play
an early role in neuronal degeneration and may have an application in testing
the efficacy of antioxidant supplements.
SWI’s role as a partner isn’t limited to producing antibodies, but
the company works closely with its customers by answering questions and
providing technical assistance. SWI
is dedicated to providing quality products and service for its customers.
[Home
] [Products] [New
Products] [Protocols] [Contact Us]