Bexarotene, an agonist of RXR, elongated primary cilia of VHL-deficient hTERT-RPE1 and reduced the amount of AURKA in RCC cell line. Bexarotene also decreased tumor incidence in a mouse model of RCC xenograft. Other RXR agonists did not elongate the primary cilia, suggesting AURKA as the target of bexarotene. Here, AURKA is linked to renal cell carcinoma.