As an essential amino acid for the human body, tryptophan and a series of intermediate products of its metabolic pathways (serotonin pathway, kynurenine pathway and indole pathway) have become the therapeutic targets for depression, schizophrenia, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancers (1), such as some of the main rate-limiting enzymes (2) tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), kynurenine monooxygenase (KMO), indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 2 (IDO2). The gene discussed is IDO1; the disease is depressive disorder.