[The canine model in the gene therapy of glioblastoma]

The group of research directed by Marta Izquierdo (in which I colaborate close to Dra. García-Escudero and other colleagues) has used in the last three years the linamarase/linamarin system for treatment of brain tumors in the rat. This is a killer/suicide method based upon the plant linamarase gene, that hydrolyses the innocuous substrate linamarin to acetone cyanohydrin and glucose. The acetone cyanohydrin spontaneously breaks down to acetone and CNH, which kills the tumor cell. We try this system in dogs, but we could only induce tumors large enough to be treated by gene therapy in 2 out of 5 adult dogs. One of those dogs was treated with adenovirus carrying linamarase gene, and after with linamarine, observing the remission of the tumor. The other, used as control, died as a consecuence of the tumor. The W&W canine cell line seems to behave as allogeneic when injected into the brain of Beagle adult dogs, and is not, therefore an excellent model for this type.