# Retinoid X receptor (RXR)

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

## TL;DR

The retinoid X receptor is a switch inside cells that vitamin A-like molecules turn on to change which genes are active; bexarotene uses it to make lymphoma cells in the skin mature and die.

## Summary

RXR alpha, beta and gamma are nuclear receptors that form heterodimers with retinoic acid receptors, the vitamin D receptor, thyroid hormone receptor, PPARs and LXR, so a single RXR ligand can alter several transcriptional programmes at once. Bexarotene, a selective RXR agonist (rexinoid), is approved for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; its metabolic side effects (central hypothyroidism, hypertriglyceridaemia) follow directly from RXR partner activation. The related retinoic acid receptor is the target of all-trans retinoic acid in acute promyelocytic leukaemia.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-10
- Tags: nuclear-receptor
- Symbol: RXRA, RXRB, RXRG
- Class: nuclear-receptor
- Biology: Ligand binding recruits co-activators and drives differentiation and apoptosis genes in malignant T cells; RXR also modulates PPAR-gamma-dependent lipid metabolism.
- Where found: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (bexarotene)

## Notes

- Prevalence not applicable: RXR alpha, beta and gamma are broadly expressed nuclear receptors, bexarotene is not selected on RXR expression, and no cancer is linked to this target, so no expression rate by cancer is recorded.

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinoid_X_receptor
- NCBI Gene RXRA: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6256

## Connected records

- drugs: [Acitretin](https://onco.cc/drugs/acitretin/), [Bexarotene](https://onco.cc/drugs/bexarotene/), [Isotretinoin](https://onco.cc/drugs/isotretinoin/)
- pathways: [Acute myeloid leukaemia (KEGG map)](https://onco.cc/pathways/aml-signalling/), [Small cell lung cancer (KEGG map)](https://onco.cc/pathways/sclc-signalling/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/rxr.json