Genetically Modified Neural Stem Cells, Flucytosine, and Leucovorin for Treating Patients With Recurrent High-Grade Gliomas

Inclusion Criteria

• •Patient has had a prior, histologically-confirmed, diagnosis of a grade III or IV glioma (including glioblastoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, or anaplastic astrocytoma, gliosarcoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, or anaplastic oligoastrocytoma), or has a prior, histologically-confirmed, diagnosis of a grade II glioma and now has radiographic findings consistent with a high-grade glioma (grade III or IV)
• •Imaging studies show evidence of recurrent, supratentorial tumor(s). The presence of infratentorial tumor is allowed as long as the patient also has supratentorial disease that is amenable to resection or biopsy.
• •Patient's high-grade glioma has recurred or progressed after prior treatment with brain radiation and temozolomide
• •Patient has a Karnofsky performance status of \>= 70%
• •Patient has a life expectancy of \>= 3 months
• •Female patients of childbearing potential and sexually-active male patients must agree to use an effective method of contraception while participating in this study; women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test =\< 2 weeks prior to registration
• •The patient must be in need of a craniotomy for tumor resection or a stereotactic brain biopsy for the purpose of diagnosis or differentiating between tumor progression versus treatment-induced effects following radiation therapy +/- chemotherapy
• •Based on the neurosurgeon's judgement, there is no anticipated physical connection between the post-resection tumor cavity and the cerebral ventricles
• •Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1500 cells/mm\^3
• •Platelet count \>= 100,000 cells/mm\^3
• •Total bilirubin =\< 2.0 mg/dl
• •Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\]) =\< 4 times the institutional upper limit of normal
• •Serum creatinine =\< the institutional upper limit of normal
• •There is no limit to the number of prior therapies
• •All subjects must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent