GNF-6231 is a potent and selective inhibitor of the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), which plays a critical role in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway. By inhibiting DHODH, GNF-6231 effectively disrupts the production of uridine monophosphate, a key building block for RNA and DNA synthesis, particularly in rapidly dividing cells. This mechanism makes GNF-6231 a promising candidate in antiviral therapy, especially against RNA viruses such as flaviviruses, including dengue, Zika, and hepatitis C virus. These viruses rely heavily on the host cell’s nucleotide pool for replication, and by limiting pyrimidine availability, GNF-6231 can significantly reduce viral replication without high toxicity to host cells. In addition to antiviral applications, GNF-6231 has been explored in oncology research due to the high metabolic demands of cancer cells. Tumor cells often depend on de novo nucleotide synthesis for proliferation, making DHODH inhibition a potential strategy to slow or halt tumor growth. Studies have shown that GNF-6231 can induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in certain cancer cell lines. GNF-6231 is also used as a research tool in cellular and molecular biology to study pyrimidine metabolism, immune cell activation, and virus-host interactions. Its selectivity and potency make it valuable for probing the role of DHODH in various disease models.