We derived several gemcitabine resistant subclones from the human pancreatic cancer cell line BxPC3 and determined that the observed chemoresistance was driven of a focal amplification of the chr11p15.4 genomic region, resulting in over-expression of the ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) subunit RRM1. This evidence concerns the gene NR2E3 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.