Retinoids: potential in cancer prevention and therapy.
Retinoids (derivatives of vitamin A) are signalling molecules that play important roles in cell growth, differentiation and death. Retinoids act through two types of receptors - retinoic acid receptors (RAR alpha, RAR beta and RAR gamma) and retinoid X receptors (RXR alpha, RXR beta and RXR gamma) - which themselves act as ligand-dependent transcription factors. Retinoids are of special interest in cancer research owing to their antiproliferative and cancer-preventative properties. They have been used successfully to cure acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) and can suppress carcinogenesis in a variety of tissue types (e.g. skin, lung, breast and oral cancers). Extensive research efforts have been dedicated to elucidating the molecular and cellular networks that are induced by retinoids, and this has recently yielded novel insights into how retinoids can both prevent and combat cancer.
Clarke
Nicole
N
Department of Cell Biology and Signal Transduction, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC)/CNRS/INSERM/ULP, BP 163, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, C. U. de Strasbourg, France. nclarke@igbmc.u-strasbg.fr
Germain
Pierre
P
Altucci
Lucia
L
Gronemeyer
Hinrich
H
D015195:Drug Design; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000188:drug therapy; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012176:Retinoids / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology
D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D012176:Retinoids; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human