However, 1-year survival and response rates of anti-PD-1 in HNSCC were only 36 and 14%, respectively, which highlights the urgent need to identify novel therapeutic options to increase the effectiveness of ICB for >80% of patients that do not have an objective response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment13–15. This evidence concerns the gene CD274 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.