Data from Drs. Osswald and Eugenin showed that connexin-43 (Cx43) is present in the TNT-like structures under various contexts (between astrocytoma cells or between macrophages) and that inhibition of GJ channels does not prevent their formation but does interfere with normal communication between TNT connected cells. Here, GJA1 is linked to astrocytoma (excluding glioblastoma).