However, despite FDA approval for programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and PD-L1 blockade in recurrent and metastatic HNSCC patients, the response rate remains between 10 and 20%6,7, suggesting that additional immunosuppressive mechanisms need to be targeted and that immunotherapy treatments need to be tailored for individual patients in order to improve their effectiveness. This evidence concerns the gene CD274 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.