An orally available, acyclic retinoid with potential antineoplastic and chemopreventive activities. Peretinoin binds to and activates nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RAR), which in turn recruit coactivator proteins and promote, with other transcriptional complexes, the transcription of target genes. As a result, this agent may modulate the expression of genes involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis of both normal and tumor cells.