Development and Challenges of Synthetic Retinoid Formulations in Cancer

Retinoids represent a class of chemical compounds derived from or structurally and functionally related to vitamin A. Retinoids play crucial roles in regulating a range of crucial biological processes spanning embryonic development to adult life. These include regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. Due to their promising characteristics, retinoids emerged as potent anti-cancer agents, and their effects were validated in vitro and in vivo preclinical models of several solid and hematological malignancies. However, their clinical translation remained limited due to poor water solubility, photosensitivity, short half-life, and toxicity. The development of retinoid delivery formulations was extensively studied to overcome these limitations. This review will summarize some preclinical and commercial synthetic retinoids in cancer and discuss their different delivery systems.

Automated summary

Retinoids, derived from or related to vitamin A, play crucial roles in regulating various biological processes. They have shown promising anti-cancer effects in preclinical models of different types of cancer. However, their clinical translation has been limited due to various challenges. The development of retinoid delivery systems has been extensively studied to overcome these limitations.