Accordingly, we predicted that HPV-positive SCCHN cells would display unaltered sensitivity to IR if only glycolysis or the ETC were inhibited, since the cells retain the metabolic flexibility to adapt to these inhibitors, in contrast to our recent findings in TP53 mutant HPV-negative SCCHN cells, in which metabolic restriction allowed for radiosensitisation by 2-DG alone [15]. Here, TP53 is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.