Used primarily in research settings as a potent tobacco-specific nitrosamine (TSNA) to study carcinogenesis, particularly in models of lung, oral, and esophageal cancers. It serves as a biomarker for tobacco exposure and helps evaluate the metabolic activation of procarcinogens in toxicology studies. Due to its high mutagenic and tumorigenic activity, it is also employed in assessing the efficacy of chemopreventive agents and understanding DNA adduct formation in cellular systems.