Sperm donor scandal: Cancer-risk gene passed by donor to 200 children in Europe

A sperm donor in Denmark, via the European Sperm Bank, with an asymptomatic genetic mutation in the TP-53 gene, has fathered at least 197 children across Europe. The donor reportedly harboured the genetic mutation unknowingly, which significantly raises the cancer risk. Some children have already died, only a small fraction will survive and live through with the genetic mutation. According to a BBC report, the man donated sperm during his student life, and it was used for 17 years since 2005. 14 public service broadcasters, including the BBC, have made the revelation in a joint investigation.

What are the risks for the children?

The TP53 gene plays a crucial role in tumour suppression. The man had a mutation in TP-53, and the affected gene was present in 20 per cent of his sperm, which means the children which he had fathered will have the mutated gene throughout their bodies, a condition known as Li-Fraumeni syndrome. People with this condition have a 90 per cent increased risk of cancer before they turn 60. The European Society of Human Genetics found a subset of 67 children, among whom 23 children have the mutation, and 10 have already been diagnosed with cancer.

A case of institutional failure

The man was healthy, and he had passed all the screening checks. The sperm was used across 67 fertility clinics across 14 countries. Denmark's European Sperm Bank had expressed its "deepest sympathy" to the affected families and suggested that the sperm was used to make too many babies in some countries. The regulations on how many children can be fathered vary along country. In the UK, a single sample of sperm can be used across families, making the number of half-siblings huge, and making the tracking of this relatively meaningless.