6 months Ago
Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke had previously disclosed that in 2008 and 2017, 52 babies in Belgium were conceived with sperm from a donor who was subsequently found to be carrying one such mutation in the TP53 cancer-linked gene. The sperm was allegedly distributed in 11 European nations, including the Netherlands.
No Dutch Clinics Involved, Karremans States
Karremans said the reports "seem to be incorrect", according to the information now available. He said the European Sperm Bank (ESB), which provided the sperm, verified that none of the clinics that had worked with the same donor have operated in the Netherlands.
"I've asked the Dutch Association for Obstetrics and Gynecology to let me know if Dutch families were affected," Karremans added.
The TP53 gene mutation is related to higher risk of cancer, taking into account the ages of the affected individuals. The unidentified donor is believed to have donated sperm to Danish-based ESB between 2008 and 2015.
Broader Impact on Europe Remains to Be Seen
The British newspaper The Guardian broke news of the case, reporting that at least 67 children in eight European countries were conceived using the donor's sperm. To date, 23 of those children have tested positive for the mutation, and 10 have gone on to develop cancer.
It is not known yet if the donor's genetic condition was apparent during the years he was donating. The European Sperm Bank has insisted that routine genetic testing was carried out.
In Belgium, the Health Minister, Vandenbroucke, requested the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products to count how many parents had tested their children and how many children had tested positive for the TP53 mutation.
