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Regulators Notify Families After Donor With TP53 Mutation Fathered 197 Children

The European Sperm Bank acknowledges breaches of national donor limits, highlighting cross‑border gaps in oversight.

Overview

  • Danish authorities have alerted regulators abroad, and the UK's HFEA says British patients treated in Denmark have been informed.
  • The donor’s sperm was supplied to 67 clinics in 14 countries over roughly 17 years.
  • Genetic findings indicate the donor is mosaic for a TP53 variant, with up to about 20% of his sperm carrying the Li‑Fraumeni–causing mutation.
  • Some donor‑conceived children have died of cancer, and those who inherited the variant face an estimated 90% lifetime risk.
  • Belgium’s six‑family cap was exceeded as 38 women conceived 53 children with this donor, and the European Sperm Bank says it is in dialogue with authorities in Denmark and Belgium.