Retinoids have been demonstrated to have pharmacological application in the areas of dermatology and oncology. In addition to the natural retinoids such as all-trans-retinoic acid and 9-cis-retinoic acid, many new potential retinoid drugs have been synthesized, including retinoic acid receptor (RAR)-subtype selective agonists, retinoid X receptor (RXR)-selective agonists, RAR-selective antagonists, anti-AP1-specific retinoids and retinoids that induce apoptosis. Recent studies demonstrate that some retinoids, in addition to modulating the RAR/RXR pathway, are also capable at pharmacological concentrations of binding to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and activating the AhR/AhR nuclear translocator pathway. Future studies are necessary to ascertain the consequences, if any, of activation of the AhR signaling pathway by pharmacological doses of specific retinoids.