Used in research settings as a selective sigma receptor ligand, particularly for studying sigma-1 and sigma-2 receptor subtypes in neurological and oncological models. It serves as a pharmacological tool to investigate receptor function in cell signaling, neuroprotection, and cancer cell proliferation. Due to its affinity for sigma receptors, it has been explored in the development of imaging agents for positron emission tomography (PET) to visualize receptor distribution in the brain and tumors. Also utilized in structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies to design new compounds targeting central nervous system disorders and potential anticancer therapies.