Recent political developments and disclosures of serious adverse events in human gene therapy (HGT) with the death of 18‐year old Jesse Gelsinger in the USA have shown that the clinical application of HGT raises some severe ethical issues. These have either been neglected or not yet been discussed to a satisfactory extent. In this paper, we will address this deficiency and develop strategies for a safer application of HGT. Such a study must first look closely at the science of HGT (...) itself. We will evaluate the latest preclinical research, especially data on the viruses that are used as vectors and on modes of administration of vectors. We will put forward new arguments concerning the toxicity assessment of so‐called ‘gene drugs‘, the tissue and cell type specificity of the vectors, and the duration and on‐set of gene expression. Secondly, we will look at procedural aspects of applied research ethics on the way to clinical application of HGT. There, informed consent (IC) and the patient‐researcher relationship are of utmost concern. Furthermore, we will explore the problem of expertise in risk assessment and will show how current regulations foster conflicts of interests that create dilemma situations even for those researchers who act in the best interest of the patients. We will conclude the article with a set of questions for ethicists who have to decide about the quality of HGT protocols. This may contribute to the safety of patients participating in HGT trials and to achieving the aim of efficient application of HGT. (shrink)

Job crafting has been established as a bottom-up work design instrument for promoting health and well-being in the workplace. In recent years, the concepts of job crafting have been applied to the university student context, proving to be positively related to student well-being. Building on person-centered analyses from the employment context, we assessed approach study crafting strategy combinations and the relationships to students’ exhaustion, study engagement, and general well-being. Data from 2,882 German university students were examined, collected online during the (...) summer term in 2020. Using latent profile analysis, we found five distinct crafting groups, which showed discriminate validity with regard to emotional exhaustion, engagement, and well-being. The results underscore the positive role of study crafting for students’ health and well-being. They further indicate a less important role of increasing social resources for emotional exhaustion when combined with a moderate increase in structural resources and a moderate increase in challenging demands. Our findings imply that interventions to promote study crafting should be considered to promote student health and well-being. (shrink)