Used primarily in research settings as a potent and selective inhibitor of farnesyltransferase, an enzyme involved in post-translational modification of proteins such as Ras. By blocking farnesylation, it prevents the proper localization and activation of oncogenic Ras proteins, making it a valuable tool in cancer research, particularly in studying signal transduction pathways and tumor cell proliferation. It has been utilized in vitro and in animal models to investigate the role of Ras-dependent pathways in malignancies and to evaluate potential therapeutic strategies for cancers driven by aberrant Ras signaling. Its selectivity allows researchers to dissect farnesylation-specific effects from those mediated by other lipid modifications.