CITU is widely used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of antiviral and anticancer agents. It plays a key role in nucleoside chemistry due to its structural similarity to natural nucleobases, allowing it to be incorporated into modified oligonucleotides for research and therapeutic applications. It is also employed in the preparation of probes for molecular biology and diagnostics, where it helps in labeling and detecting specific DNA or RNA sequences. Additionally, CITU derivatives are explored in the design of prodrugs to improve bioavailability and targeted delivery in drug formulations.