Nakashima et al. demonstrated that gemcitabine can induce activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MAPKAPK-2) in the Panc1 pancreatic cancer cell line, and the activation of these kinases results in the phosphorylation of Hsp27 at Ser15, 78, and 82 residues. This evidence concerns the gene MAPKAPK2 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.