Cell division cycle associated 3 (CDCA3) is required for mitotic entry, and mediates the degradation of the inhibitory kinase Weel. New evidence suggests CDCA3 plays a role in tumor promotion. However, little is known about the relevance of CDCA3 in colorectal cancer(CRC), especially in the regulation of NF-kappa B activity. In this study, we found that colorectal tumors significantly expressed more CDCA3 than non cancer tissues. In addition, CDCA3 promoted CRC cell proliferation in vitro. Furthermore, down regulation of CDCA3 not only induced cell cycle arrest but also facilitated apoptosis. Mechanistically, CDCA3 activates the NF-kappa B signaling pathway by interacting with TRAF2 in CRC. Together, these results define a tumor-supportive role for CDCA3, which may also provide a new promising strategy for treating CRC. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.