Used in research settings to study cholesterol metabolism and lipid biochemistry. Acts as a derivatized form of cholesterol to improve stability or alter solubility in analytical procedures. Employed in the development and testing of pharmaceutical formulations where controlled release or modified lipid behavior is required. Also utilized in some diagnostic applications to calibrate instruments or standardize assays that measure cholesterol or related sterols. Its ester-like structure makes it useful in chromatographic separation techniques for identifying cholesterol derivatives.