US EditionSperm Donor With Cancer-Causing Mutation Conceived 197 Children
Nearly 200 children were conceived using sperm carrying a rare TP53 mutation linked to Li-Fraumeni syndrome, increasing their lifetime cancer risk by up to 90%, experts say.
- The European Sperm Bank confirmed donor 7069 fathered at least 197 children across 14 countries, with samples carrying a rare TP53 mutation linked to Li‑Fraumeni syndrome, and blocked him in October 2023.
- Routine donor screening excludes TP53 gene, so donor 7069's mosaic TP53 mutation went undetected; no international donor registry or caps and commercial incentives drove wide export by large sperm banks.
- Doctors reported that ten children diagnosed with cancer, 23 of 67 known affected donor‑conceived children carried the variant, and quarantine of remaining samples followed uneven clinic notification.
- Denmark authorities notified the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on Tuesday, Belgian authorities opened investigations, and advocacy groups demand Europe-wide caps amid the ESB acknowledging exceeded limits.
- The broader social fallout includes donor half‑siblings and families facing lifelong screening protocols with annual MRI and ultrasounds, as children who inherit the TP53 mutation face Li‑Fraumeni syndrome, up to 90% lifetime cancer risk.
162 Articles
162 Articles
Sperm donor with cancer-causing gene fathered close to 200 kids
Children born from the affected sperm will carry the gene mutation in every body cell, a disorder known as Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which increases the chances for people to develop cancer, including brain tumours and cancers like leukemia.
Frankfurter Allgemeine
A rare mutation in the sperm of a Danish donor significantly increases the risk of cancer. Reporters reveal: The man is the biological father of at least 197 children in different countries.
At least 197 children were born from the semen of an anonymous Danish donor, who used the pseudonym Kjeld before the semen bank discovered a serious anomaly in him...
A sperm donor has passed on a rare gene mutation over the years. Many children could now have a significantly increased risk of cancer.
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