Gal Shafirstein , DSc, MSc, BSc

Director of Photodynamic Therapy Clinical Research
Department of Cell Stress Biology
 View the Shafirstein Lab

Specializing In:

  • Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
  • Thermal ablation
  • Finite element modeling for light propagation in tissues
  • Light dosimetry
  • Design clinical studies in PDT

Research Interests:

  • PDT treatment of head and neck and lung cancer
  • Interstitial light therapy
  • Computer modeling and dosimetry for guiding light therapy

Positions

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

  • Professor of Oncology
  • Director of Photodynamic Therapy Clinical Research
  • Department of Cell Stress Biology

State University of New York at Buffalo

  • Research Professor

International Journal of Hyperthermia

  • Section Editor for Clinical Laser Ablation

Background

Education and Training

  • 1988-1992 - DSc - Materials Science, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology
  • 1986-1988 - MSc - Technion, Israel Institute of Technology
  • 1982-1986 - BSc - Materials Science, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel

Professional Memberships

  • Fellow, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS)
  • Member, American Association for Cancer Research
  • Member, Society of Thermal Medicine
  • Member, International Photodynamic Association

Research Overview

Our laboratory research work focuses on treatment planning and light dosimetry for interstitial and intraoperative PDT. We aim to improve the quality of life and survival for patients with locally advanced head neck cancer or lung cancer, who failed to respond to standard therapies or have no effective current treatments. We work in close collaboration with physicians to translate the technologies developed in the laboratory into the clinic. The laboratory also supports clinical studies and off label use of PDT in the treatment of patients with head and neck and lung cancer.

NIH Awards:

Interstitial Photodynamic Therapy Following Palliative Radiotherapy for Patients with Inoperable Malignant Central Airway Obstruction.

Source and ID: R01CA283547 NCI/NIH Project Period: 03/01/2024-02/28/2029
Role: Principal investigator (PI), contact PI in a multiple PI award with N. Ivanick MD, T. Busch PhD
Major Goals: This research aims at providing benefits in tumor control and treatment outcomes for patients with extrabronchial tumors that induce malignant central airway obstruction (MCAO), by preceding interstitial photodynamic therapy with palliative radiotherapy. We hypothesize that standard of care p-XRT (8Gy x1) followed by I-PDT is safe and will improve treatment outcomes in patients with extrabronchial MCAO, and that this improvement is due to changes in the tumor microenvironment.
 

Interstitial Chemophototherapy as an Intervention in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.

Source and ID: R01CA298877 NCI/NIH Project Period: 04/11/2025-03/31/2029
Role: PI in a multiple PI (MPI) award J. Lovell (contact PI) and T. Liu MPI
Major Goals: To advance long-circulating PEGylated liposomal irinotecan (IRT-PoP) for photoablation of large pancreatic cancer (PaCa) tumors models using clinically relevant laser light treatment and dosimetry regimes, in combination with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The specific goals are to define interstitial chemophototherapy (I-CPT) light dosimetry in locally advanced PaCa in preclinical model; To characterize IRT-PoP drug release and enhanced immunotherapy effects in a mouse model; and to establish tumor pharmacokinetics and biodistribution parameters.

 View the Shafirstein Lab
Photodynamic therapy and mesothelioma Unique clinical trial combines keto diet and PDT to target tumors obstructing the airway Lung cancer patient helps blaze a trail for a possible new treatment approach

Featured on CancerTalk

Photodynamic therapy and mesothelioma
older woman holding her chest with one hand steading herself on the couch with the other
Unique clinical trial combines keto diet and PDT to target tumors obstructing the airway
keto diet meal planning
Lung cancer patient helps blaze a trail for a possible new treatment approach

Publications

  Full Publications list on PubMed
  1. Shafirstein G, Battoo A, Harris KE, Baumann H, Gollnick SO, Lindenmann J, Nwogu CE. Photodynamic Therapy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Narrative Review and Future Directions. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2016, 13, 265-275. PMID: 26646726; PMCID: PMC5015713
  2. Rigual N, Shafirstein G, Cooper MT, Baumann H, Bellnier DA, Sunar U, Tracy EC, Rohrbach DJ, Wilding G, Tan W, Sullivan M, Merzianu M, Henderson BW. Photodynamic therapy with 3-(1'-hexyloxyethyl) pyropheophorbide a for cancer of the oral cavity. Clin Cancer Res. 2013 Dec 1;19(23):6605-13. PubMed PMID: 24088736; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3911775.
  3. Shafirstein G, Rigual NR, Arshad H, Cooper MT, Bellnier DA, Wilding G, Tan W, Merzianu M, Henderson BW. Photodynamic therapy with 3-(1'-hexyloxyethyl) pyropheophorbide-a for early-stage cancer of the larynx: Phase Ib study. Head Neck. 2015 Jan 10;PubMed PMID: 25580824; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4499022.
  4. Oakley E, Wrazen B, Bellnier DA, Syed Y, Arshad H, Shafirstein G. A new finite element approach for near real-time simulation of light propagation in locally advanced head and neck tumors. Lasers Surg Med. 2015 Jan;47(1):60-7. PubMed PMID: 25559426; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4304874.
  5. Oakley,E.; Bellnier, D.A.; Hutson, A.; Wrazen, B.; Arshad, H.; Quon, H.; Shafirstein, G. Surface markers for guiding cylindrical diffuser fiber insertion in interstitial photodynamic therapy of head and neck cancer. Lasers Surg Med 2017, 49, 599-608. PMCID:PMC5513772