Sperm Donor With Rare Mutation Linked to Cancer Sparks Debate

Discussion over the regulation of sperm donation is being fueled by a donor who carries a unique genetic mutation associated with cancer, causing controversy.

From 2008 to 2015, sperm from one donor was utilized in at least 67 births across 46 families, according to Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital in France, as shared during her presentation on May 24th at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics in Milan, as reported by CNN.

From the offspring born through the anonymous sperm donor, it’s been confirmed that ten kids have already developed cancer.

During the presentation, Kasper pointed out that it appears the issue might stem from the regulations themselves or, more specifically, the absence of limits on the number of births facilitated by a single donor.

Although tests confirmed the donor’s good health, they also revealed an uncommon mutation in the TP53 gene within his genetics. This unusual mutation is associated with a condition known as Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, which significantly boosts an individual’s likelihood of developing cancer.

It was unknown at the time of donation that the sperm donor carried a mutation, Kasper explained later on. However, it has been discovered since then that kids born from this donor reside in eight distinct European nations. Among these children, ten have been diagnosed with cancers like brain tumors and Hodgkin Lymphoma. Additionally, as reported by CNN, thirteen more children are found to carry the gene but haven’t developed cancer yet.

Due to an elevated likelihood of contracting cancer, Kasper emphasized that these children will need routine health checks for their entire lives. Given that they carry a 50% chance of passing on this genetic mutation to their offspring.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I’ve only contributed my genetic material once, specifically to a distinguished private sperm bank – The European Sperm Bank based in Denmark, according to CNN’s reports.

Julie Paulli Budtz, the Vice President of Corporate Communications for the organization, informed CNN that the donor has undergone rigorous testing, surpassing even the established standards. However, she noted that the scope of preventive genetic screening might be approaching its boundaries in this case.

She noted, “Typically, each individual carries around 20,000 genes. It’s scientifically impossible to identify the mutations that cause diseases within an individual’s genetic makeup unless you have a clear understanding of what specific elements to search for.

Moreover, as reported by CNN, Budtz has voiced her wish to establish a restriction on the number of offspring produced from a single donor.

Beyond adhering to the national family-building guidelines for each donor, we’ve also taken a step further by establishing an internal global restriction, allowing no more than 75 families to utilize one donor.

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2025-05-29 17:17