Recent studies and clinical trials are shedding new light on cancer biology and immunotherapy. Key findings include the identification of transfer RNA-derived small RNAs impairing NK cell function in colorectal cancer, novel IL-18 variants engineered for enhanced drug properties for cancer immunotherapy, and promising new inhibitors targeting oncogenic pathways such as CDK9 and YAP1/TEAD interactions. These discoveries offer potential avenues for overcoming immune evasion and drug resistance in tumors, contributing to the development of improved therapeutic strategies.