Importantly, it was demonstrated that the extent of CDCA8 expression is much greater in CD133+ cancer stem cells than in CD133− cancer cells, and that CDCA8 knockdown decreases levels of CD133, p-Akt and β-catenin and increases levels of ATF3 and GADD34 in the CD133+ cancer stem cell (CSC) population. Here, ATF3 is linked to cancer.