High levels of kynurenine in HNSCC cell lines shown through metabolic profiling via MS. Checkpoint inhibition of IDO1 leads to an upregulation of genes in glycolysis (ACLY, G6PD, COX5A, LPL and PFKL) and apoptosis (CASP7, CASP9, BCL2L11) in vitro. This evidence concerns the gene IDO1 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.