Jiang said
autism researchers
worldwide could use the mouse model to study ways to compensate for the gene and improve symptoms in people with
autism spectrum disorders and Phelan - McDermid Syndrome, a more profound developmental condition caused
by mutations to SHANK3 and other genes in chromosome 22.
And with one child out of 150 in the United States diagnosed with
autism, there is more of a need for service dogs now than ever — with 67 million people
worldwide affected
by the disease.