Sperm Donor With Cancer Causing Gene Fathered Almost 200 Children Across Europe

An unknowing harboring of genetic mutation that raised the risk of cancer by a sperm donor who fathered at least 197 children across Europe. BBC reported on a major investigation that revealed that some children have already died and only "a minority who inherit the mutation will escape cancer in their lifetimes". 

According to BBC, the sperm was not sold to UK clinics, in fact, a "very small" number of British family used the sperm while they had their fertility treatment in Denmark. It was the European Sperm Bank of Denmark that admitted that the sperm was used to make too many babies in some countries and that they had their "deepest sympathy" for the families affected. 

<h2>What Was The Investigation All About?</h2>

The investigation was conducted by 14 public broadcasters, which included BBC, as part of the European Broadcasting Union's Investigative Journalism Network. 

This is what the investigation revealed: This sperm donor, who was perfectly healthy on paper started donated sperm as a young student in 2005. He was paid for each donation. He passed all the routine screening tests and showed no signs of illness. For nearly 17 years, women across Europe used his sperm to have children.

But there was something inside his DNA that no one could have detected at the time.

Before the donor himself was born, a random change occurred in some of the cells that were forming his body. This mutation damaged a crucial gene called TP53. This gene acts like the body’s security guard. Its job is to spot dangerous changes in cells and stop them from turning cancerous.

Most of the donor’s body does not carry this mutation, which is why he has never become ill. However, his sperm cells are a different story. Up to 20% of them carry the faulty TP53 gene.

This created a devastating possibility. If a sperm carrying the mutation fertilizes an egg, the resulting child will have the mutation in every single cell of their body. That child is then born with Li Fraumeni syndrome, a condition that brings an up to 90 percent lifetime risk of cancer. These cancers often appear in childhood and include leukemia, bone cancers, brain tumors and breast cancer later in life.

The donor had no idea any of this was happening. Neither did the clinics using his sperm.

<h2>How Was This Mutation Discovered?</h2>

The alarm was first raised when doctors across Europe began seeing children with aggressive cancers whose genetic tests all pointed back to the same TP53 mutation. Eventually, they discovered that the children were conceived using sperm from the same donor.

By the time this was uncovered, the donor’s sperm had been used by 67 fertility clinics across 14 countries. At least 197 children are known to have been born using his donations, though the final number could be higher. It is not yet known how many of them inherited the dangerous gene.

Doctors say several of these children have already been diagnosed with cancer, some have developed more than one cancer, and some have died.

Dr Edwige Kasper, a cancer geneticist in France, has been helping families navigate the diagnosis.

“We have many children who have already developed cancer,” she said. “Some have had two cancers and some died very early.”

One mother, whose name is changed to Céline (as per the BBC report), conceived her daughter with the donor’s sperm in Belgium. 14 years later, she received a call from the clinic urging her to get her child screened.

Her daughter tested positive for the mutation.

Céline says she does not blame the donor but is devastated that she was given sperm that “was not safe”. She knows cancer could strike at any point.

“We do not know when, we do not know which cancer, and we do not know how many times,” she said. “When it comes, we fight.”

There is no global law limiting how many families a sperm donor can help. Each country sets its own rules.

In Belgium, for example, one donor should be used for no more than six families. This donor helped create 38 families in Belgium alone.

The UK limit is ten families, but the donor’s sperm was never sold directly to UK clinics. Instead, the Danish authorities informed the UK that a small number of British women travelled to Denmark for treatment using this donor’s sperm. Those women have since been contacted.

The European Sperm Bank admits national limits were breached in some countries and says the donor was immediately blocked once the mutation came to light. They say the donor and his relatives are healthy and that this type of mutation cannot be detected with standard screening.

<h2>Can Donor Screening Ever Catch Everything?</h2>

Experts say cases like this are extremely rare but nearly impossible to prevent entirely.

“You cannot screen for everything,” said Prof Allan Pacey from the University of Manchester. “If we make screening even tighter, we would not have any donors left.”

He added that countries have become too dependent on large international sperm banks, which supply multiple nations simultaneously.

<h2>Important Questions Parents Must Ask</h2>

Experts advise choosing licensed clinics and asking:

<ul><li>Is the donor local or from another country?</li><li> How many families has this donor helped?</li><li>What screening has been done?</li></ul>

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An unknowing harboring of genetic mutation that raised the risk of cancer by a sperm donor who fathered at least 197 children across Europe. BBC reported on a major investigation that revealed that some children have already died and only "a minority who inherit the mutation will escape cancer in their lifetimes". According to BBC, the sperm was not sold to UK clinics, in fact, a "very small" number of British family used the sperm while they had their fertility treatment in Denmark. It was the European Sperm Bank of Denmark that admitted that the sperm was used to make too many babies in some countries and that they had their "deepest sympathy" for the families affected. What Was The Investigation All About?The investigation was conducted by 14 public broadcasters, which included BBC, as part of the European Broadcasting Union's Investigative Journalism Network. This is what the investigation revealed: This sperm donor, who was perfectly healthy on paper started donated sperm as a young student in 2005. He was paid for each donation. He passed all the routine screening tests and showed no signs of illness. For nearly 17 years, women across Europe used his sperm to have children.But there was something inside his DNA that no one could have detected at the time.Before the donor himself was born, a random change occurred in some of the cells that were forming his body. This mutation damaged a crucial gene called TP53. This gene acts like the body’s security guard. Its job is to spot dangerous changes in cells and stop them from turning cancerous.Most of the donor’s body does not carry this mutation, which is why he has never become ill. However, his sperm cells are a different story. Up to 20% of them carry the faulty TP53 gene.This created a devastating possibility. If a sperm carrying the mutation fertilizes an egg, the resulting child will have the mutation in every single cell of their body. That child is then born with Li Fraumeni syndrome, a condition that brings an up to 90 percent lifetime risk of cancer. These cancers often appear in childhood and include leukemia, bone cancers, brain tumors and breast cancer later in life.The donor had no idea any of this was happening. Neither did the clinics using his sperm.How Was This Mutation Discovered?The alarm was first raised when doctors across Europe began seeing children with aggressive cancers whose genetic tests all pointed back to the same TP53 mutation. Eventually, they discovered that the children were conceived using sperm from the same donor.By the time this was uncovered, the donor’s sperm had been used by 67 fertility clinics across 14 countries. At least 197 children are known to have been born using his donations, though the final number could be higher. It is not yet known how many of them inherited the dangerous gene.Doctors say several of these children have already been diagnosed with cancer, some have developed more than one cancer, and some have died.Dr Edwige Kasper, a cancer geneticist in France, has been helping families navigate the diagnosis.“We have many children who have already developed cancer,” she said. “Some have had two cancers and some died very early.”A Mother’s DiscoveryOne mother, whose name is changed to Céline (as per the BBC report), conceived her daughter with the donor’s sperm in Belgium. 14 years later, she received a call from the clinic urging her to get her child screened.Her daughter tested positive for the mutation.Céline says she does not blame the donor but is devastated that she was given sperm that “was not safe”. She knows cancer could strike at any point.“We do not know when, we do not know which cancer, and we do not know how many times,” she said. “When it comes, we fight.”How Regulation FailedThere is no global law limiting how many families a sperm donor can help. Each country sets its own rules.In Belgium, for example, one donor should be used for no more than six families. This donor helped create 38 families in Belgium alone.The UK limit is ten families, but the donor’s sperm was never sold directly to UK clinics. Instead, the Danish authorities informed the UK that a small number of British women travelled to Denmark for treatment using this donor’s sperm. Those women have since been contacted.The European Sperm Bank admits national limits were breached in some countries and says the donor was immediately blocked once the mutation came to light. They say the donor and his relatives are healthy and that this type of mutation cannot be detected with standard screening.Can Donor Screening Ever Catch Everything?Experts say cases like this are extremely rare but nearly impossible to prevent entirely.“You cannot screen for everything,” said Prof Allan Pacey from the University of Manchester. “If we make screening even tighter, we would not have any donors left.”He added that countries have become too dependent on large international sperm banks, which supply multiple nations simultaneously.Important Questions Parents Must AskExperts advise choosing licensed clinics and asking:Is the donor local or from another country? How many families has this donor helped?What screening has been done?

sperm donor with cancer causing gene fathered almost 200 children across europe

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Sperm Donor With Cancer Causing Gene Fathered Almost 200 Children Across Europe

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Sperm Donor With Cancer Causing Gene Fathered Almost 200 Children Across Europe

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