Rescue assays verified that miR-125a silencing or CREB5 overexpression could undermine the suppressive function of circVAPA knockdown on cell cycle progression, migration, invasion and glycolysis in CRC cells, further validating that circVAPA knockdown hindered CRC growth through miR-125a/CREB5 axis. This evidence concerns the gene CREB5 and colorectal carcinoma.