US EditionRare cancer gene found in sperm donor sparks European regulatory concerns
- A sperm donor who began donating in 2008 fathered at least 67 children across eight European countries and was found to carry a cancer-causing TP53 gene mutation linked to Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
- This discovery followed two separate families contacting fertility clinics after their children developed cancers like leukemia, revealing shared genetic risks and prompting broader European investigations.
- Researchers tested 67 children from 46 families, identifying the mutation in 23 children and cancer diagnoses in 10, and continue monitoring the affected children born between 2008 and 2015.
- Dr. Edwige Kasper assessed the variant through various databases, predictive methods, and functional studies, determining it to be likely cancer-causing. She noted that while this variant was nearly impossible to detect back in 2008, there remain significant areas needing improvement.
- The case highlights critical gaps in European gamete donation regulation, prompting calls for continent-wide limits on donor offspring to prevent abnormal disease spread and for better cross-border oversight.
24 Articles
24 Articles
New York Post
DailyTruthReportEuropean man unaware he had a rare cancer-causing gene donated his sperm — 10 kids now have cancer
The debate over how often a donor's sperm should be used to conceive children has been reignited in Europe, after 67 children were birthed accidentally using the sperm of a man that had a rare cancer-causing mutation.
De Telegraaf
Het NieuwsbladSperm Donor Who Fathered 67 Children in Europe Also Appears to Pass on High Risk of Cancer: Disease Already Diagnosed in 10 Children
A sperm donor who helped conceive 67 children across Europe has also been found to be the carrier of a rare, cancer-causing mutation. The genetic variant was found in 23 children, ten of whom have already been diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer gene found in donor sperm prompts calls for EU-wide limits
A sperm donor who unknowingly carried a rare gene mutation linked to cancer has fathered dozens of children across Europe, at least ten of whom have developed cancer, according to findings presented at a major genetics conference. The donor’s sperm was used between 2008 and 2015 to conceive at least 67 children in 46 families across eight European countries. The TP53 gene mutation, known to elevate cancer risk, was identified only after multiple…
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