Danish Donor Fathers 197 Children with Cancer Gene Mutation

A Danish sperm donor carrying a rare genetic mutation that heightens cancer risk has fathered at least 197 children across 14 European countries, leaving many of them vulnerable to early-onset cancers, according to an investigation by multiple European news organizations. The donor, who began contributing sperm in 2005, passed standard health screenings at the time, but a mutation in about 20 percent of his sperm cells went undetected for nearly two decades until it was flagged in 2023.

The mutation affects the TP53 gene, which produces a protein known as p53 that helps prevent cells from becoming cancerous by regulating cell division, repairing DNA damage, and triggering cell death when necessary. When inherited through sperm, it results in a germline mutation causing Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare autosomal dominant disorder. Individuals with this condition face a substantially elevated risk of developing multiple cancers, including those of the brain, blood, bone, soft tissue, adrenal glands, and breast. Medical experts estimate that up to 90 percent of those affected will develop at least one cancer by age 60, with half experiencing it by age 40 and many cases occurring in...