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Abstract
Abstract: The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway attenuates tissue destruction by limiting the activity of T cells, a situation that can be used by cancer to its advantage. Thus, blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway provides a basis for immunotherapy against cancer, which is very promising when considering the high incidence and mortality rates that this disease currently presents. Therefore, this research consists of a descriptive bibliographic review that was performed using the database of the System of Libraries, Documentation, and Information of the University of Costa Rica (SIBDI in Spanish) and the website Google Scholar. The objective of this review is to determine the role of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway as an immune checkpoint, in addition to the application of the PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitor drugs in immunotherapy against cancer. It was concluded that PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have high rates of antitumor response and survival, as well as better tolerance than traditional antitumor drugs. Finally, combination therapy and the use of biomarkers are recommended to obtain a higher tumor progression-free survival, a personalized therapy and a favorable outcome for the patient.