Sperm Donor With Rare Mutation Linked to Cancer Sparks Debate
Originally appeared on E! Online
A sperm donor with a rare genetic mutation linked to cancer is sparking debate about regulation of the practice.
In the years between 2008 and 2015, sperm from the same donor was used to conceive at least 67 children from 46 families, Edwige Kasper—a biologist at Rouen University Hospital in France—revealed, per CNN, during a May 24 presentation at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics in Milan.
And of the children conceived using the unnamed donor's sperm, ten have already been diagnosed with cancer.
'At the heart of the problem seems to lie the regulation,' Kasper explained during the presentation, 'or maybe the lack of regulation of the number of births by a single donor.'
While analysis proved that the donor was healthy himself, it also showed that he possessed a rare mutation in a gene named TP53, which is likely to cause a rare disorder that increases a person's risk of developing cancer called Li-Fraumeni Syndrome.
More from E! Online
Justin Bieber Reacts to Wife Hailey Bieber's $1 Billion Beauty Deal
Savannah Chrisley Reunites With Todd Chrisley in Florida After Prison Release
Eddie Murphy's Son Eric and Martin Lawrence's Daughter Jasmin Are Married
The mutation was not known when the donation was made, Kasper clarified, but children born from this donor have since been identified in eight different European countries. And ten of them have been diagnosed with cancers such as brain tumors and Hodgkin Lymphoma. Another 13 children, per CNN, are carrying the gene but have not yet developed a cancer.
Because of the children's increased risk of developing cancer, Kasper added that they will require regular medical examinations throughout their lifetimes. After all, they have been predisposed to have a 50% chance of transmitting the mutation onto their kids.
At the time of donation, the man had only donated to a single private sperm bank, per CNN, The European Sperm Bank in Denmark.
'The donor has been thoroughly tested even above the required standards,' Julie Paulli Budtz, the organization's Vice President of Corporate Communications, told CNN in a statement. 'But preventative genetic screening is reaching its limits here.'
'Every human being has about 20,000 genes,' she added, 'and it is scientifically simply not possible to detect disease-causing mutations in a person's gene pool if you don't know what you are looking for.'
And while there is currently no limit on the number of children that are allowed to be born using a single donor, per CNN, Budtz expressed her desire to change that.
'In addition to following national pregnancy limits,' she stated, 'we have proactively implemented our own international limit of 75 families per donor.'
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
17 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
NATO Is Pushing Europeans for Fivefold Boost to Air Defenses
NATO is asking European member states to expand ground-based air-defense capabilities fivefold as the alliance races to fill a key gap in response to the threat of Russian aggression, people familiar with the matter said. The ramp-up will be discussed at a gathering of North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense ministers in Brussels on Thursday, the people said on condition of anonymity as deliberations take place behind closed doors.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hims Stock Surges 180%--Now It's Betting Big on Europe's $100B Weight-Loss Market
Hims & Hers Health (NYSE:HIMS) is doubling down on the global obesity drug boom. The U.S.-based telehealth company just snapped up European rival Zava in a cash deal, opening the door to 1.3 million new patients across the UK, Ireland, Germany, and France. CEO Andrew Dudum called obesity a huge opportunity and believes the path forward lies in personalized carenot just mass prescriptions. With demand already running hot for weight-loss treatments not covered by public healthcare, this acquisition could be Hims' ticket to scale its model far beyond U.S. borders. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with HIMS. In the U.S., Hims built momentum by offering compounded versions of GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound during supply shortagesreplicas that mimicked the active ingredients but were tailored to individual needs. Even now, as shortages ease and compounding restrictions tighten, Hims hasn't exited the scene. Instead, it's pivoting toward more niche personalizations: lower doses, unique formulations, and side-effect-reducing combinations. That same playbook could be viable in the UK and Europe, where local rules still allow "specials"bespoke medications for patients with unique clinical needs. And here's the bigger picture: Hims isn't trying to replace branded drugsit's becoming the neutral platform that offers both. The company recently inked a deal with Novo Nordisk to sell Wegovy directly and expects more collaborations. Think of it like Switzerland: impartial, adaptive, and quietly positioning itself at the center of a lucrative market shift. With shares already up nearly 180% over the past year, investors could be looking at a business that's just getting startedespecially as Europe becomes its next frontier. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Richard Gere Doubles Down on Fierce Criticism of Donald Trump as He Opens Up About Life in Spain—7 Months After Quitting U.S.
Hollywood A-lister Richard Gere has once again hit out at President Donald Trump's political agenda—claiming that he has created a 'violent, crude, and ignorant' world—while opening up about his own decision to quit life in the U.S. in favor of relocating to Spain. Gere, 75, moved to the European country with his wife, Alejandra Silva, 42, and three of their four shared children in November, after offloading their stunning Connecticut mansion in an off-market deal. The actor—who is best known for his roles in 'Pretty Woman' and ' An Officer and a Gentleman'—first announced their plans in an April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair Spain, explaining that he wanted his wife to have the chance to return to her home country, so she could spend more time with her family and loved ones. However, in the months since their move was made official, Gere has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump and the policies that he is implementing in the U.S., criticism that he has now doubled down on in a new interview with local Spanish outlet, El Pais. 'If each of us were kind to each other, the world would be different and better. Not all of us respond to wisdom, but we all respond to kindness,' Gere told the publication. 'Even in the case of Trump, I'm sure there is something kind about him. People say he's charming in private. 'Yet the world he's created around himself is violent, crude, and ignorant. Many of the things he's doing we've never seen before.' When asked whether he believes that Trump's second term in office could 'irreversibly change the values of U.S. society,' the actor admitted that he 'worries' about it—claiming that the president is 'cut off from' society's natural sense of empathy. Gere's latest comments echo those he made at the annual Goya Awards ceremony in February, when he slammed Trump as a 'bully and a thug' while accepting the International Goya Award in recognition of his ongoing humanitarian work. 'We're all part of a universe of overlapping pain and sadness and joy. … I see this world that we're in now forgetting that,' he said at the time. 'This very foolish tribalism is starting to take us over, where we think that we're all separate from each other. 'And we have unfortunately elected officials that don't inspire us in the way that we want to be inspired. I'm coming from a place now … we're in a very dark place in America where we have a bully and a thug who is the president of the United States. 'But it's not just in the U.S., it's everywhere.' Still, Gere admits that there are plenty of things he misses about his life in the U.S.—specifically, the people he left behind, including his adult son, Homer, telling El Pais that he wants to ensure he maintains a close connection to his heritage in his home country, even if he's living overseas. 'I miss my family and friends. I was just in New York visiting my friends and my oldest son,' he shared. 'We went to Pennsylvania, to the small town where my father and mother came from, and we visited their grave. I need to somehow feel connected to my history, to my best friends, to stay in contact with all of it.' But the actor noted that watching his wife 'blossoming' in Spain has been reward enough for making the move—explaining that he wanted to return the favor she did for him in upping sticks and joining him in the U.S. when they began their romance. 'Alejandra gave me six or seven years in the U.S.; she dropped everything to be with me and create a life together,' he said. 'But I could see it was important for her to come back, that she really missed her family and friends. She's blossoming here.' Although Gere noted that he has never lived permanently abroad, he said that he has created a sense of belonging in his new Madrid dwelling by ensuring that he has access to the creature comforts he needs most—specifically his 'office, piano, guitars, and books.' 'In a way, I've taken my world and put it here,' he said. While the family has quickly laid down roots in what El Pais described as a 'chalet in the exclusive Madrid neighborhood of La Moraleja,' Gere's wife noted that they are not set on spending the rest of their days in the city. She told the publication that they plan to 'stay … for a few years,' describing Madrid as a 'city that has … a very special energy.' However, she has previously revealed that the family had always planned to 'come back' to the U.S., telling the Daily Mail that they were already spending their time going 'back and forth' between the two countries in order to visit their loved ones regularly. 'For a few years [we'll live in Spain], and then come back. But we're always coming back. We'll come back here in the summer because we have the kids at camp. We just have to balance our lives there and here,' she said. Luckily, the family has retained a home base in the U.S., despite selling their permanent residence in New Canaan, CT. That home is now set to be torn down in order to make room for a nine-plot subdivision. In his April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, Gere revealed that he planned to keep a property 'in the countryside in New York,' although he hesitated to share specific details about its location. 'I Appealed My Property Taxes and Got $4,500 Knocked Off My Bill' Home Price Growth Slows to Weakest Pace in 2 Years as Buyer Demand Remains Soft Fresh Out of College? These Are the 10 Best Cities Where Graduates Can Actually Afford To Rent
