Nearly 200 children were born from donated sperm carrying a gene that causes cancer.

An anonymous sperm donor in Denmark inadvertently passed a rare, cancer-causing genetic mutation to nearly 200 children. This case, spanning almost two decades, has led to tragic consequences, with several children dying, exposing serious flaws in the industry's screening and regulatory processes.

This mutation is located in the TP53 gene, a gene dubbed the "guardian of the genome" because of its crucial role in preventing cells from developing into cancer. When the TP53 gene is faulty, it causes a genetic disorder called Li-Fraumeni syndrome .

This condition puts individuals at extremely high risk of developing cancer throughout their lives, especially childhood cancers.

Remarkably, the donor was completely healthy and unaware of his condition, as the mutation only existed in a portion of his spermatogenic cells and not in other cells of his body. His sperm has been distributed by the European Sperm Bank (ESB) since 2005 to 67 clinics in 14 countries.

Although ESB was first alerted in April 2020 when a child conceived with this sperm developed cancer, it wasn't until late October 2023, after further reports of other cases, that they confirmed the mutation and permanently blocked the sample. ESB expressed its "deepest condolences" and stated that the mutation "was not detected preventatively through genetic screening" at the time.

The consequences for the families are heartbreaking. Dr. Edwige Kasper, a French cancer geneticist, stated: "We have observed many children who have developed cancer, some who have developed two different types of cancer, and some of them who have died at a very young age." At least 197 children have been confirmed to have been conceived from this donor.

Professor Mary Herbert, a reproductive biology expert, stated that the incident "highlights the urgent need for more comprehensive genetic screening of sperm donors and stricter cross-border controls."

Source: https://congluan.vn/gan-200-tre-em-sinh-ra-tu-tinh-trung-hien-tang-mang-gen-gay-ung-thu-10322180.html