Last, close membrane appositions at regions of reinforcement of Cx43 immunostaining, suggesting intercellular contacts between astrocytes and glioma cells migrating out of a tumor spheroid or the body mass, were observed in co-cultures of glioma cells on an astroglial monolayer, as well as following implantation of tumors into brain slices maintained in organotypic cultures. The gene discussed is GJA1; the disease is neoplasm.