Globoid cell leukodystrophy (GCL) or Krabbe disease is an autosomal recessive inherited disease caused by the deficiency of galactocerebrosidase, the lysosomal enzyme responsible for the degradation of galactocerebroside, a major component of myelin. An animal model homologue of GCL is the twitcher mouse. In the present work, using novel recombinant retroviruses harboring the SL3-3 LTR, we have been able to stably correct the galactocerebrosidase deficiency in twitcher mouse TM-2 cells and in primary human fibroblasts from a patient with globoid cell leukodystrophy. These results show the possibility of retroviral-mediated gene therapy for the treatment of GCL.