Since NF-κB contributes to gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer cell lines in a mechanism regulated by the mucin MUC4 [50], our findings support the possibility that the additional complexity in these 3D spheroids, relative to traditional 2D cell culture methods, may be fruitful for screening novel chemotherapeutic intervention strategies for PDAC where extracellular matrix components were incorporated. Here, NFKB1 is linked to familial pancreatic carcinoma.