Tretinoin

Description: Tretinoin (Ro-5488; Vitamin A acid; ATRA; TRA; alltrans vitamin A acid; All-trans Retinoic Acid; Avita; Renova; Aberel; Aknoten; RetinA), used to treat acne or other skin disease, is a naturally-occurring acid of retinol and a ligand for both the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and the retinoid X receptor (RXR). It can induce granulocytic differentiation and apoptosis in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells. Tretinoin binds to and activates retinoic acid receptors, thereby inducing changes in gene expression that lead to cell differentiation, decreased cell proliferation, and inhibition of tumorigenesis. This agent also inhibits telomerase, resulting in telomere shortening and eventual apoptosis of some tumor cell types.

References: J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1999 Apr; 289(1):123-32; J Invest Dermatol. 1994 Feb; 102(2):241-6.