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BlueWaveNeverEnd

(13,795 posts) Thu Dec 11, 2025, 06:03 AM Dec 11

Sperm donor with undetected cancer mutation fathered nearly 200 children across Europe

Sperm donor with rare cancer-causing mutation fathers nearly 200 children across Europe
The man donated sperm to Denmark’s European Sperm Bank, starting in 2005

NDON — A sperm donor who unknowingly carried a gene variant that can cause cancers fathered nearly 200 children across Europe, some of whom have already died, according to an investigation published Wednesday by a group of 14 European news organizations.

The man started donating sperm at Denmark’s European Sperm Bank in 2005, which was sold to women from at least a dozen countries over roughly 17 years, the organizations reported. He is healthy and had passed the donor screening checks, but some of his cells had a mutation in a gene called TP53, the healthy version of which helps prevent the body’s cells from turning malignant. Donor checks don’t often look for rare mutations.

Most of the man’s cells do not have the mutation, but up to 20% of the sperm he makes do. Any child born from sperm with the mutation would have the mutation in all of their cells, causing what’s known as Li-Fraumeni syndrome. People born with the condition have a roughly 90% chance of developing at least one type of cancer by age 60, and half develop cancer by age 40. Many get cancer during childhood.

The news organizations found that the donor fathered at least 197 children, though the true number could be higher. It’s not known how many of the children inherited the mutated form of TP53. The TP53 gene encodes a protein called p53, which is one of the body’s most important tools to prevent cells from becoming cancerous.

https://www.statnews.com/2025/12/10/200-children-inherit-gene-mutation-one-sperm-donor/

An investigation has revealed that one sperm donor with a gene that causes cancer in children has fathered around 200 offspring. A fertility clinic in Denmark sold the sperm to women across the world. The case is raising questions about industry regulations. DW teamed up with 13 European broadcasters of the EBU Investigative Journalism Network to find out more.

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Sperm donor with undetected cancer mutation fathered nearly 200 children across Europe (Original Post) BlueWaveNeverEnd Dec 11 OP

Maybe women ought to check out the man's sperm before engaging in sex Stargazer99 Dec 11 #1

None of these women engaged in sex with him. Ms. Toad Dec 11 #2

Stargazer99

(3,505 posts)

1. Maybe women ought to check out the man's sperm before engaging in sex

Reply to BlueWaveNeverEnd (Original post)

Thu Dec 11, 2025, 11:51 AM

Dec 11

Like maybe an official document required certification of safety

Ms. Toad

(38,485 posts)

2. None of these women engaged in sex with him.

Reply to Stargazer99 (Reply #1)

Thu Dec 11, 2025, 12:32 PM

Dec 11

They purchased the sperm from a sperm bank,. All reputable banks screen for safety - it was part of the trade-off in choosing a sperm bank over a friend and a turkey baster.

My daughter's biological father donated to a local sperm bank. Through genetic testing, she has discovered her bio-dad and a half dozen half-siblings locally (as well as the three in the donor's family). She just went to the baby shower for the oldest of the half-siblings in the traditional family, and is in fairly regular contact with the donor's wife, who has the same inclination toward alternative medicine as my medically intensive daughter.

The sperm is donated, frozen for a period of time, at the end of which the father is tested for things like AIDS (which might be present, but not yet positive at the time of the donation). It is not available for use until after the secondary testing of the donor. There is an extensive questionnaire health examination and questionnaire. Part of it I knew at the time - part of it I learned at birth when they wanted to screen her for a number of conditions because the father was listed as "unknown."

Once they knew she was conceived by donor insemination, they skipped that screening because the donor insemination screening was more extensive than what they would obtain from a known father.

They don't test for rare genetic mutations not present in the donor or his then-existing family. I haven't read the article yet, but I would guess that this mutation was discovered when either the donor's traditionally conceived child was diagnosed with the syndrome, or one of his donor children was and they tested any remaining donations. Because he was a carrier who did not have the condition, there would be no reason to test for it.

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