Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an IFN-gamma inducible 42 kDa enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of the essential amino acid L-tryptophan to N-formylkynurenine. The gene encoding human IDO maps to chromosome 8p12-p11.

IDO, also known as INDO, is an important modulator of immunological responses and protects allogeneic concepti from alloreactive maternal lymphocytes. IDO mediates an interesting inhibitory effect of HeLa cells co-cultured with human PBLs. The ILN-2-induced proliferation response of PBLs is diminished in the presence of HeLa cells while an IDO inhbitor negates this effect. Flow cytometric analysis indicates both mature and immautre CD123-positive dentritic cells suppress T cell activity using IDO.