This is how it was possible for the sperm of a Dane carrying “carcinogenic” genes to reach 10 Spanish babies

The TP53 gene is essential for preventing cells in our body from becoming cancerous. But one a genetic mutation can affect you and cause Li-Fraumeni syndrome. This leads to up to a 90% risk of developing multiple cancers at an early age, including breast cancer, sarcomas, brain tumors and leukemias.

In 2005, a Danish economics student had this mutation, but he didn’t know it. Was a tall white man with light brown hair and brown eyes. One day, he decides to donate his sperm.

To do this, he went to the headquarters of the European Sperm Bank (ESB) in Copenhagen. In 2007, he had routine checks (the mutation was not present in most of his cells), He was identified as “donor 7069” or “Kjeld”. and started delivering samples.

I donated sperm, but I also distributed numerous ballots so that the future baby would carry the same genetic mutation and therefore the possibility of suffering from Li-Fraumeni syndrome and this very high risk of contracting cancer. This was revealed this week by joint investigation into 14 public radio stations coordinated by the investigative journalism network of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), chaired by the Spaniard Pilar Requena, and which 20 minutes he declared last Wednesday.

Children concerned: there could be more 197

Between 2006 and 2023, the BSE has put the “Kjeld” sperm available in 67 fertility clinics. It took 17 years for this sperm to be blocked. At that time, “donor 7069” fathered at least 197 children in 14 European countries.

This figure may be much higher because BSE has not yet revealed the total number of children conceived with this sperm claiming privacy concerns. The fact is that many of these children developed cancer and some died very young.

If ‘Kjeld’s sperm stopped being offered, it’s because In 2023, a genetic mutation was discovered which significantly increases the risk of cancer in some of your sperm. This led to an international alert being issued to health authorities and fertility clinics. In October 2023, the ESB permanently blocked “donor 7069”.

But the the first warning came in 2020according to the BSE. They received notification that a child conceived with Kjeld’s sperm had been diagnosed with a TP53 mutation. His sperm was quarantined until further genetic testing was done.

However, the results were negative. How was this possible? Well, because the rare mutation only occurs in some donor spermno way. “Donor 7069” showed no symptoms and his sperm returned to the market.

Spain: four clinics to conceive 35 children

Among the fourteen countries affected by “contaminated” sperm was Spain. With the sperm of the young Dane they were generated ten children in our country and 25 others They were impregnated here even though they were born outside.

“Kjeld” sperm was used by four Spanish clinics to conceive 35 children: 10 from Spanish families and 25 from women who came from abroad for treatment. Three of the people born in our country tested positive for the mutation and one of them is already sick.

Controls appear to have failed across Europe. Also in the case of our country, because article 5 of the law that regulates assisted procreation establishes that “the maximum authorized number of children born in Spain who would have been generated with gametes from the same donor There shouldn’t be more than six“. Spain has one of the most restrictive reproductive laws.

This limit of 6 was imposed to avoid inbreedingthe blood relationship between two people. Blood relatives are those who share blood because they have a common parent.

It is about prevent these children from meeting and associating in the future. “In a country as big as Spain, it is estimated that out of 25 babies conceived with the same sperm or the same eggs, there could be a risk that they end up knowing each other without knowing that they share genetic material,” assures El Correo of the Reproducto Bilbao clinic.

The Spanish case: today this could not happen

Fortunately, today this failure would no longer occur. In 2017, the Ministry of Health announced the creation of SIRHA, the Information System on Assisted Human Reproduction, to record the traceability of each donation and guarantee compliance with the maximum number of 6 babies. In SIRHA, which entered into force in 2020births resulting from the sperm or eggs of each donor are recorded.

Today, ‘Kjeld’ sperm does not pass the sieve. According to our legislation, it must be guaranteed “that donors do not suffer from genetic, hereditary or infectious diseases transmissible to their offspring”. It is therefore obligatory to practice a screening to detect whether humans carry the genes responsible for five diseases: cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, sensorineural deafness, thalassemia and sickle cell anemia.

The true scale of the problem

Hereditary cancer specialist Svetlana Lagercrantz told Danish public radio: In 2024, an expert meeting on hereditary cancers was needed to understand the extent of the problem. Already at the time, a French colleague told him about patients who had inherited the TP53 mutation from their sperm donor.

This is how they discovered the seriousness of what had happened. According to the doctor, suddenly doctors across Europe realized that they thought these were singular cases. In fact, they were all fathered by a single donor.covering the entire continent and even beyond.

People with the TP53 mutation must undergo periodic screening throughout their lives. As cancer is particularly rare in children, Symptoms may be overlooked or misinterpreted when doctors do not know the mutation. “The earlier the cancer is detected, the better the chances of recovery,” Lagercrantz said.

Families who were not informed

As this doctor explained, several of his patients in Sweden They were never contacted.. He assured that they only discovered the mutation through information reported by the media.

Legally, the sperm bank is required to alert all fertility clinics to which it has exported gametes of any resulting genetic abnormalities. These are the clinics which, in turn, must inform parents.

However, the journalistic investigation reported several cases of families who were never officially informed that their children could carry the TP53 mutation. Among families in some of the affected countries, there is a general feeling of anger and frustration.