Abstract: New therapeutic methods for renal carcinoma are in urgent need because of its insensitivity to the existing treatments， radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Programmed cell death factor 1 （PD-1） and programmed cell death factor ligand 1 （PD-L1） are costimulatory factors. Anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 therapies are proved to be effective among the treatments for malignant melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. Moreover， they are widely used to other malignancies as well. PD-1／PD-L1 inhibitors are expected to become new methods for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. This article aims to review the research progressions of PD-1／PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors in renal cell carcinoma and explore the possible molecular mechanisms.