In cancer therapy, prodrugs can be used to enhance the selectivity and reduce the systemic toxicity of anticancer agents. The conversion of a prodrug to its active form can be designed to occur preferentially in cancer cells or in the tumor microenvironment, thereby minimizing damage to healthy tissues. This selective activation can be achieved by exploiting unique biological characteristics of cancer cells, such as overexpressed enzymes or the hypoxic conditions often found in tumors.
