The salvage pathway allows cells to recycle nucleotides from degraded DNA and RNA, which is particularly important in nutrient-poor environments. Cancer cells often have elevated levels of enzymes like hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) and thymidine kinase to maximize nucleotide recycling. This pathway is a target for certain chemotherapeutic agents, such as azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine.
