Hundreds of European children are at risk after sperm from a donor who had a cancer-causing gene was used to conceive nearly 200 kids across the region.
A major investigation discovered the issue, noting that some children have already lost their lives, and only a small number who inherit the mutation are expected to escape cancer during their lifetimes.
Sperm From Donor With Cancer-Causing Gene
The sperm in question was not sold to clinics in the United Kingdom, but it was found that a "very small" number of British families used it while having fertility treatment in Denmark. The latter's European Sperm Bank (ESB), which was responsible for selling the sperm, said that families affected had their "deepest sympathy."
The investigation, which was conducted by 14 public service broadcasters, also found that the sperm came from an anonymous man who was paid to donate as a student, starting in 2005. It was said that his sperm was then used by women for about 17 years, according to the BBC.
Read more: More Parents Are Opting Out of Vitamin K Shots for Their Newborn Babies, Sparking Health Concerns
The man was described as being healthy and was able to pass donor screening checks. However, the DNA in some of the individual's cells mutated before he was born. This then damaged the TP53 gene, which is responsible for preventing the body's cells from turning cancerous.
The investigation found that the majority of the male donor's body did not contain the dangerous form of TP53, but discovered that roughly 20 percent of his sperm did. It is noted that any children made from affected sperm will have the mutation in every cell of their body.
A Massive Investigation
The Danish Patient Safety Authority said that 99 children were born from the donor's sperm after treatment at a local clinic. It added that 49 kids were born to women in Denmark and 50 were born to women outside of Denmark, Science Alert reported.
Denmark's ESB said that the gene could not be detected by prior genetic screening, adding that not all children conceived from the sperm donor have the mutation. It revealed that the donor's sperm has been involved in the births of more than 70,000 children globally over the last two decades.
A cancer geneticist at France's Rouen University Hospital, Edwige Kasper, said that they already have some children who developed two different cancers. He added that some of the kids died at a very young age.
The sperm was also used by a maximum of six families in Belgium, where 53 children were born to 38 different women, as per CBS News.
