title: Therapeutic use of selective synthetic ligands for retinoic acid receptors: a patent review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Differentiation therapy using all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) revolutionised the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukaemia to such an extent that it is now one of the most curable types of leukaemia, with ATRA and anthracycline-based chemotherapy providing cure rates above 80%. Isotretinoin is used to treat chronic acne. Here, we examine the information described in recent patents and the extent to which new findings are influencing extending retinoid-based differentiation therapy to other cancers, as well as the development of new therapies for other disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  A search has been performed on the literature and worldwide patents filed during 2014 to the present time, focusing on synthetic agonists and antagonists of retinoic acid receptors and novel compositions for the delivery of these agents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  New potential therapeutic applications have been described, including lung, breast and head and neck cancers, T cell lymphoma and neurodegenerative, metabolic, ophthalmic, muscle, and inflammatory disorders. Recent patents have described the means to maximise retinoid activity. Two decades of efforts to extend retinoid-based therapies have been disappointing and new synthetic retinoids, target diseases and modes of delivery may well resolve this long standing issue.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology , University of Wroclaw , Wroclaw , Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchwicka
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences , University of Birmingham , Birmingham , UK.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology , University of Wroclaw , Wroclaw , Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marcinkowska
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences , University of Birmingham , Birmingham , UK.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D010330:Patents as Topic; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000819:agonists* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012176:Retinoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008024:Ligands; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D012176:Retinoids
keywords: RARs; RXRs; leukaemia; retinoids; skin diseases; therapy