Retinoids

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Retinoids

Retinoids (pronunciation: /rɛˈtɪnɔɪd/) are a class of chemical compounds that are vitamers of Vitamin A or are chemically related to it. They are used in medicine due to their ability to regulate cell growth.

Etymology

The term "retinoid" is derived from the name of its parent compound, retinol, which is a form of Vitamin A. The suffix "-oid" means "resembling" or "like", indicating that retinoids are compounds that resemble or are related to Vitamin A.

Types of Retinoids

There are three generations of retinoids:

  1. First-generation retinoids: Retinol, Retinal, Tretinoin, Isotretinoin, and Alitretinoin
  2. Second-generation retinoids: Etretinate and its metabolite Acitretin
  3. Third-generation retinoids: Adapalene, Tazarotene, and Bexarotene

Medical Uses

Retinoids have several uses in medicine, primarily for skin conditions. They are used to treat Acne, Psoriasis, skin aging, and certain types of Cancer. They work by binding to and activating retinoic acid receptors (RARs), which in turn regulate cell growth.

Side Effects

Common side effects of retinoids include dryness, redness, swelling, and peeling of the skin. More serious side effects can occur if retinoids are used in high doses or over a long period of time, including birth defects if used during pregnancy.

See Also

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski