On Wednesday, December 10, an investigation carried out by Danish public television DR and thirteen other European channels revealed a medical case of a scale rarely seen. Sperm from an identified Danish donor, carrying a genetic mutation that greatly increases the risk of cancer, was used between 2006 and 2022 in around forty countries.
197 children at risk of cancer
As the survey states, “At least 197 children were born using sperm from an anonymous Danish donor with the alias Kjeld, before the sperm bank discovered a serious genetic anomaly. At this stage, authorities know that the mutation concerns the TP53 gene, known for its central role in preventing tumors.
This syndrome, called Li-Fraumeni syndrome, is associated with a risk of cancer of up to 90%, particularly during childhood and more particularly with breast cancer in adulthood. In addition, affected children also have 50% chance of passing it on to their own children.
But the threat is not new. The first warning signals date back to April 2020 when a donated child developed cancer and a mutation was identified. The European Sperm Bank, one of the largest sperm banks in the world, tests a sample from the donor but no results confirm the mutation. Sales of glitter then resumed. Three years later, a new sick child raises the alarm. Further testing ultimately demonstrates that the donor is a healthy carrier. The sperm is permanently blocked at the end of October 2023.
An undetectable mutation at the time and sperm distributed very widely
According to the Danish bank, the mutation discovered is very particular: “The specific mutation is a rare and previously undescribed alteration of TP53, which is only present in a small fraction of the donor’s sperm and not in the rest of his body, as the donor himself is not affected“In other words, even with extensive genetic testing, this anomaly escaped the procedures in force during donations.
In fact, between 2006 and 2022, donor sperm was distributed to 67 clinics in 14 countries, without any international regulations limiting the number of births from the same donor. Which raises questions today. Some countries such as Denmark apply a limit of 12 children per donor, France 10, but these ceilings cease to exist as soon as the glitter crosses a border.
The anguish of families plunged into uncertainty
Among the families concerned, there are therefore not only Danes. In France too, Marie, who used a donation in Belgium, discovers anxiety, like so many other mothers. “It was only in September that the hospital called us back and we were told that our children could carry a mutation in the TP53 gene, linked to cancer. I never imagined hearing something like that.” she tells 7sur7.
Since the announcement, she has been living in heavy waiting:
“We now have to wait to find out if they carry the cancer-causing mutation. The analysis takes months to wait in fear. We are being followed in a specialized center in Paris, where our children donated blood and where we will receive the results in January. If the test is positive, they will have to come back every three months for examinations, for their entire life, as the risk is high.
France, a more protective but not infallible system
But could this also happen in France? Not in terms of design number. Unlike other European countries, French bioethics law imposes a maximum of 10 children per donor, controlled by CECOS who immediately stop the use of gametes when the threshold is reached.
Concerning health, donors undergo a battery of examinations, including serology, a karyotype, a spermogram, and a genealogical investigation over three generations to avoid genetic diseases. A psychological interview is systematic. Serology is repeated several months after donation. The Biomedicine Agency recalls this essential rule:
“Being healthy means not having a disease that could put your unborn child at risk.”
Furthermore, certain medications can be toxic to gametes and therefore prohibit sperm donation. “As these pieces of information are not exhaustive, it is always up to the medical team at the donation center to evaluate the feasibility of the donation on a case-by-case basis.“continues the agency. This system does not guarantee zero risk, but it makes it possible to rule out the vast majority of known pathologies.
However, nothing is impossible. The main challenge remains the free movement of sperm in Europe, which makes it difficult to control imported straw, while demand has exploded since the opening of PMA to female couples and single women in 2021.