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3h ago

Probe Finds Sperm Donor’s TP53 Mutation Reached 197 Children Across 14 Countries

The cross-border probe exposes gaps in screening plus coordination that left families uninformed for years.

In der Samenbank eines Facharztes für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe werden Samenspenden aus einem Kühlbehälter entnommen.
Ein dänischer Samenspender überträgt eine seltene Genmutation an fast 200 Kinder.
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Overview

  • An IJN/EBU investigation reports at least 197 births tied to one Danish donor whose sperm was supplied to 67 clinics in 14 countries between 2006 and 2022.
  • The donor carries a rare TP53 gene mutation found only in a subset of his sperm, which elevates cancer risk in children who inherited it.
  • The European Sperm Bank was alerted in April 2020 after a cancer case but initial testing did not detect the mutation; further analyses in 2023 confirmed it and use of the donor’s sperm ceased in October 2023.
  • Journalistic and medical accounts say some of the children have developed cancer and an unspecified number have died.
  • The GENTURIS network called for tracing all affected families to enable genetic testing and clinical surveillance, while the sperm bank highlighted the lack of cross-border limits or tracking despite around 70,000 births facilitated over 20 years.