Sperm donor with undetected cancer mutation fathered nearly 200 children across Europe [View all]

Sperm donor with rare cancer-causing mutation fathers nearly 200 children across Europe
The man donated sperm to Denmark’s European Sperm Bank, starting in 2005

NDON — A sperm donor who unknowingly carried a gene variant that can cause cancers fathered nearly 200 children across Europe, some of whom have already died, according to an investigation published Wednesday by a group of 14 European news organizations.

The man started donating sperm at Denmark’s European Sperm Bank in 2005, which was sold to women from at least a dozen countries over roughly 17 years, the organizations reported. He is healthy and had passed the donor screening checks, but some of his cells had a mutation in a gene called TP53, the healthy version of which helps prevent the body’s cells from turning malignant. Donor checks don’t often look for rare mutations.

Most of the man’s cells do not have the mutation, but up to 20% of the sperm he makes do. Any child born from sperm with the mutation would have the mutation in all of their cells, causing what’s known as Li-Fraumeni syndrome. People born with the condition have a roughly 90% chance of developing at least one type of cancer by age 60, and half develop cancer by age 40. Many get cancer during childhood.

The news organizations found that the donor fathered at least 197 children, though the true number could be higher. It’s not known how many of the children inherited the mutated form of TP53. The TP53 gene encodes a protein called p53, which is one of the body’s most important tools to prevent cells from becoming cancerous.


https://www.statnews.com/2025/12/10/200-children-inherit-gene-mutation-one-sperm-donor/

An investigation has revealed that one sperm donor with a gene that causes cancer in children has fathered around 200 offspring. A fertility clinic in Denmark sold the sperm to women across the world. The case is raising questions about industry regulations. DW teamed up with 13 European broadcasters of the EBU Investigative Journalism Network to find out more.