Retinoids: uses and abuses

There is no doubt that modern retinoids are a two-edged sword. While they appear to normalize many abnormal biologic processes, i.e. modulate cellular differentiation and cellular proliferation, at the same time they can severely "abnormalize" other processes, i.e. embryonic organogenesis. Pharmaceutical ingenuity in separating their toxicity from their efficacy will determine their ultimate value to the therapist.