GJA1 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: However, in ALS, astrocytes and microglia exhibit dysregulated and upregulated Cx43 hemichannel activity, leading to the aberrant release of neurotoxic factors such as ATP, glutamate, and ROS, (Almad et al., 2016; Cui et al., 2014; Lagos-Cabré et al., 2017; Almad et al., 2022; Orellana et al., 2011).