Objective-To investigate the association of enteroviruses with motor neurone disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Design-Analysis by enterovirus polymerase chain reaction ofwax embedded material from spinal cords taken at necropsy from subjects with motor neurone disease and from age and sex matched controls.Setting-Specimens were collected in the west of Scotland and in London between 1982 and 1992.

Due to the lack of any effective therapy, novel approaches acidic protein (GFAP), an astrocyte specific protein. Two are currently being explored for the treatment of primary 1716 variants, 1774 and 1775, were constructed which brain tumours. It has previously been demonstrated that contain the GFAP-promoter element linked to the E. coli ␤-variants of HSV-1 which are deleted in the RL1 gene and galactosidase gene, inserted into the HSV-1 UL43 and fail to produce the virulence factor ICP34.5 are potential US5 loci, respectively. In primary cultures, human primary candidates for tumour therapy. The RL1 variant 1716 replitumour cell lines and established tumour cell lines in vitro, cates selectively within tumour cells and has the potential 1774 and 1775 gave high levels of expression of ␤-to deliver a therapeutic or tumour killing gene directly to galactosidase specifically in astrocytes. In vivo following the site of tumour growth. As many intracerebral tumours intracerebral inoculation, both viruses demonstrated high are glial and predominantly astrocytic in origin, we have levels of ␤-galactosidase expression predominantly in evaluated the ability of 1716 to deliver a reporter gene astrocytes. These results indicate that the GFAP promoter specifically to astrocytes in vivo and in vitro using a 2.2 kb element could be used for efficient and selective transgene fragment which controls expression of the glial fibrillary delivery to human gliomas.

Four cases interpreted as intraspinal blue naevi are reported. The patients were adults females with an age range between 22 and 60 yr. In three there was a single tumour arising from the cervical posterior nerve roots and in the fourth there were multiple tumours arising from the posterior nerve roots of the spinal cord and occurring within the cerebello--pontine angle. The histological appearances of the tumours were similar in every way to those of dermal blue naevi. One was of the more common spindle-celled type and three of the cellular variant. The tumours contained melanin-pigment, and spindle cells with dendritic bipolar processes of the type described in dermal blue naevi. One was of the more common spindle-celled type and three of the cellular variant. The tumours contained melanin pigment, and spindle cells with dendritic bipolar processes of the type described in dermal blue naevi. Definite evidence of malignant tranformation was found in two cases and in a third, the appearances were suggestive for early malignant change. Therefore, unlike their dermal equivalents, intraspinal blue naevi appear to have a greater propensity for malignant transformation. In each case a careful clinical examination failed to reveal any evidence of a primary malignant melanoma. In the one case who died and on whom necropsy was performed, the failure to identify a primary cutaneous, mucosal or ocular melanoma substantiated our contention that these tumours were primary.