Treatment protocol

After inducing visible oral exophytic polyps, the reminder hamsters (n=104) were blindly randomized into 8 groups using computer generated list of random numbers (n=13 hamster per group). Three groups were injected with the free forms of 5Fu, CPT and FGFR1i with a dose of 12, 2, and 0.5 mg/kg, respectively [20, 21]. Another 3 groups were similarly injected up to 150 μl of the prepared functionalized AuNSs with the 3 drugs 5Fu-AuNSs, CPT-AuNSs, and FGFR1i-AuNSs equivalent to the administrated free dose of 5Fu, CPT and FGFR1i (12, 2, and 0.5 mg/kg), respectively. Finally, 2 groups served as controls receiving saline and PEG-RGD-AuNSs (150 μl same as treatment dose) without any loaded drug. Each group received the designated treatment 3 times/week for a period of 1 week by an intraperitoneal (I.P.) injections under lightly sedation using ketamine hydrochloride [22]. All investigators were blinded throughout the whole experiment (During allocation concealment, outcome assessment and data analysis). The animal groups were known only by the animal care staff who administered the drugs. After treatment according to the planned protocol, animals were sacrificed by cervical decapitation under anesthetic conditions (Ketamin 30 mg/kg, i.p.). Finally, any animal disposals were burned.