Ahn et al. indicated that guggulsterone combined with gemcitabine augmented growth inhibition of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo through downregulation of nuclear factor-κB activity, suppression of BcL-2 and Akt expression, and activation of Bax and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase [20]. This evidence concerns the gene AKT1 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.