Used in radiopharmaceutical development, particularly in the synthesis of imaging agents for positron emission tomography (PET). The iodine-125 or iodine-131 labeled form serves as a key intermediate for targeting aromatic amino acid pathways in neuroendocrine tumors and brain tumor imaging. Its structure mimics natural amino acids, enabling uptake via amino acid transport systems in cancer cells, which enhances tumor visualization. Also employed in research on amino acid metabolism and receptor binding studies due to its selective transport properties.