Used in the synthesis of dyes and pharmaceuticals, phenanthridine serves as a key building block in developing antiparasitic and antimicrobial agents. It is notably involved in the production of ethidium bromide, a compound widely used in molecular biology for staining nucleic acids in agarose gel electrophoresis. Its planar aromatic structure allows intercalation into DNA, making it valuable in biochemical research for studying DNA structure and function. Additionally, derivatives of phenanthridine are explored for their potential in anticancer therapies due to their ability to inhibit specific enzymes involved in cell proliferation.