In fertility clinics across Europe, families placed their trust in what seemed like a routine procedure — sperm donation.
What they didn’t know was that a dangerous mutation was quietly being passed from one child to the next.
It started with two families. Their children were diagnosed with cancer, prompting them to reach out to their clinics.
Genetic testing revealed something chilling: both children had inherited a rare mutation linked to cancer. And they shared the same anonymous donor.
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One donor, dozens of families
An investigation traced the cases to a single man whose sperm had been used to conceive at least 67 children in eight different countries.
Of the 67, 23 children were found to carry the same rare TP53 gene variant.
So far, 10 of them have developed serious cancers, including leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The mutation, now believed to cause Li-Fraumeni syndrome, dramatically increases the risk of cancer.
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Regular screenings and lifelong monitoring are now advised for those children affected.
The donor’s mutation wasn’t known at the time of donation in 2008. Standard screening couldn’t have detected it, and the donor remains in good health.
But the consequences for his biological offspring are unfolding tragically.
A call for international limits and better tracking
Experts now warn that this case exposes a dangerous gap in regulation.
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While the European Sperm Bank imposes a limit of 75 families per donor, there’s no unified international cap — and no system to track donor-conceived children across borders.
Researchers and ethicists say this must change. Without stronger regulations, better screening, and centralized tracking, more families could unknowingly face the same fate.
As one expert put it, “Not every man should have 75 children across Europe”.
The full number of children fathered by the donor remains unclear. The sperm bank has declined to release exact figures, further fueling concern.
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This article is based on information from The Guardian.
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