RARA and cancer: Additionally, ATRA has known off-target transcription-independent effects on ERK and PI3k-Akt signaling pathways in NSCLC that counteract RARα-mediated inhibition of cancer cells growth and make ATRA a poor candidate compound for NSCLC treatment (Choi et al, 2007; Garcia-Regalado et al, 2013; Quintero Barceinas et al, 2015).