Herein we demonstrate that codelivery of TK (+ systemic gancyclovir [GCV]) to kill glioma cells and release putative endogenous TLR ligands, with Flt3L to attract DCs to the brain, results in a powerful, CD8+ T cell-mediated systemic immune response that elicits tumor regression and immunological memory. Here, TKT is linked to central nervous system cancer.