# Retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA)

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/rara/  
OnCo record `rara` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The retinoic acid receptor that, fused to PML in acute promyelocytic leukaemia, blocks white blood cells from maturing. All-trans retinoic acid releases the block and arsenic trioxide destroys the fusion protein, turning a once rapidly fatal leukaemia into one of the most curable.

## Summary

RARA is a nuclear receptor that switches on genes of myeloid differentiation when bound by retinoic acid. In acute promyelocytic leukaemia the t(15;17) translocation fuses PML to RARA, and the fusion protein recruits co-repressors that lock promyelocytes in an immature state. Pharmacological doses of all-trans retinoic acid (tretinoin) release the co-repressors and force differentiation, while arsenic trioxide binds the PML moiety and triggers degradation of the fusion protein. Given together, without chemotherapy in standard-risk disease, they cure most patients; differentiation syndrome is the characteristic early complication.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Symbol: RARA
- Class: nuclear-receptor
- Biology: Ligand-activated nuclear receptor of myeloid differentiation; the PML::RARA fusion in APL is the drug target of tretinoin and arsenic trioxide.
- Where found: Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (PML::RARA fusion in almost all cases)

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinoic_acid_receptor_alpha
- UniProt P10276: RARA: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P10276/entry

## Connected records

- cancers: [Acute myeloid leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/aml/), [Acute promyelocytic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/apl/)
- drugs: [Acitretin](https://onco.cc/drugs/acitretin/), [Arsenic trioxide](https://onco.cc/drugs/arsenic-trioxide/), [Isotretinoin](https://onco.cc/drugs/isotretinoin/), [Tretinoin (all-trans retinoic acid, ATRA)](https://onco.cc/drugs/tretinoin-atra/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/rara.json