Ten kids born from the same sperm donor in Europe have been found to have cancer.
This advancement has prompted immediate demands for stricter fertility laws and global restrictions on donor use.
From 2008 to 2015, genetic material from a single individual was utilized to father 67 offspring within 46 households spread across eight European nations: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
At the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Genetics in Milan, Edwige Kasper, a biologist from Rouen University Hospital in France, unveiled the research outcomes.
She stated, “The core of the issue appears to be related to the regulations—or perhaps the absence thereof—on the number of donations made by a single individual.”
Although the donor is in good health, they have a uncommon mutation in the TP53 gene associated with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a condition that significantly elevates the likelihood of developing cancer.
So far, ten of the children have developed cancers such as brain tumors and Hodgkin lymphoma.
Twelve others have the mutation but aren’t exhibiting signs of cancer as of now.
Kasper stated, “Regular follow-up visits will be necessary for these children. There is a 50% probability that they could pass this gene onto their offspring.”
She outlined the continuous surveillance procedure as follows: “The subsequent protocol includes full-body MRI scans, an MRI of the brain, and for grown-ups, additional MRIs of the breasts. It also entails ultrasonic examinations of the abdominal area along with a thorough inspection conducted by a medical professional.”
This places a significant burden and stress on healthcare providers, yet we’ve observed its efficacy in facilitating the early identification of tumors, thereby enhancing patients’ prospects for survival.
In contrast to repeat donors involved in various controversies, this individual contributed sperm exclusively to a single institution – the European Sperm Bank located in Denmark.
Julie Paulli Budtz, who serves as the vice president of corporate communications at the bank, stated, “Although the donor was rigorously tested beyond the necessary standards, preventive genetic screenings have their limitations.”
Each individual possesses roughly 20,000 genes, and from a scientific standpoint, it is impossible to identify disease-causing alterations within someone’s genetic makeup without knowing precisely what to search for.
At present, there is no consistent cap throughout Europe regarding the number of children that can be born using sperm from one particular donor.
The regulations differ nationally—with France capping donations at 10 offspring, Denmark at 12, and Germany at 15.
Budtz said the European Sperm Bank now follows its own voluntary international cap of 75 families per donor, but emphasized that regulation must improve across borders.
Kasper pointed out, “The primary concern revolves around the absence of unified regulations throughout Europe.”
We require comprehensive regulations at the European level to attempt preventing this from recurring, along with implementing actions to establish global limits on the number of children born from each donor.
(CNN)
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