In conclusion, our present study identifies the negative impact of the gemcitabine metabolic regulator dCK on the Keap1/NRF2/ARE axis and reveals that decreased dCK expression regulates ROS production and the intracellular redox status, which might contribute to gemcitabine resistance and regulate pancreatic cancer cell proliferation (Figure 6). This evidence concerns the gene NFE2L2 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.