Latest news with #EdwigeKasper
Euronews
09-06-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Sperm donation policies in Europe questioned after cancer scare
The disparity of sperm donor laws in Europe has been called into question after a Danish sperm donor with an inherited cancer mutation is said to have helped conceive at least 67 children across Europe, mostly in Belgium. The European Sperm Bank (ESB) allegedly used gametes from a Danish donor who unknowingly carried a rare variation of the TP53 gene that increases the risk of early cancer. Out of the 67 children he helped to conceive, 23 of them are carriers of the variant, 10 of whom have developed cancer. The case was revealed at the end of May by Dr. Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital, at a meeting of the European Society of Human Genetics in Milan. "It's a syndrome called Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which will give rise to multiple cancers with a very broad spectrum, so children who are carriers of this variant need to be monitored very closely," the specialist in hereditary predispositions to cancer told Euronews. Of the 10 children who have developed a form of cancer, the doctor counts four haemopathies, four brain tumours and two types of sarcoma that affect the muscles. The case has highlighted the shortcomings of sperm donation policies across Europe. While most European countries limit the number of children fathered by a single donor, or the number of families that can be helped by a single donor, there is no limit at international or European level. The conditions around anonymity also vary from country to country. "We will end up with an abnormal spread of a genetic pathology, because the sperm bank involved in this case has set a limit of 75 families from the donor. Other sperm banks have not set a limit," explained Kasper. Although donors are subject to medical examinations and genetic tests, "there is no perfect pre-selection," explained Ayo Wahlberg, researcher and a member of the Danish Council on Ethics. "Technology is developing so fast. Genetic testing technologies and their costs are falling so fast that, if we compare 10 or 15 years ago and today in terms of recruitment and the types of genetic tests that can be carried out as part of the screening process, a lot has changed," the professor explained. The rules governing sperm donation vary from one European country to another. The maximum number of children from a single donor varies from 15 in Germany to one in Cyprus. Other countries prefer to limit the number of families that can use the same donor to give them the opportunity to have brothers and sisters. For example, the same donor can help 12 families in Denmark and six families in Sweden or Belgium. In addition, donations are kept anonymous in countries such as France and Greece. In other member states such as Austria, the person born of a gamete donation may have access to the identity of his or her parent. In Germany and Bulgaria, donations may or may not be anonymous, depending on the circumstances. In the Netherlands, the process is not anonymous. Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian National Medical Ethics Councils raised concerns over a lack of regulation at an international and European level, claiming it increases the risk of the spread of genetic diseases and consanguinity. "The risk that a genetic disease will unknowingly spread much more widely (with a large number of offspring) than if the number (of offspring) had been smaller," Wahlberg said. "The first step is therefore to establish or introduce a limit of families per donor. The second step is to create a national register. And the third step is of course to have a European register based on the national registers," Sven-Erik Söder, President of the Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics, told Euronews. In the age of social media and thorough DNA testing, donor anonymity can no longer be 100% guaranteed, which some have argued could put off people from donating. When asked if the introduction of regulations could lead to a shortage of sperm donations, Söder said the solution is not the absence of restrictions, but instead encourage people to donate. A referendum in Italy on citizenship requirements and job protection is likely to have failed, as turnout was far below the required threshold, polling agency YouTrend said on Monday. Turnout needed to be at least 50% plus one vote to make the referendum results binding, but based on data collected from 60,000 polling stations, turnout was around 30%. The referendum, proposed by trade unions and civic organisations, addresses issues that have generated political debate in Italy in recent years, particularly labour market reform, primarily the 2016 Labour Act, as well as migrant reception and integration policies. The first four questions relate to labour issues and concern the increasing protection of workers, small enterprises and their obligations towards employees, short-term contracts, and the responsibility of clients towards subcontracting parties and employees' safety. The fifth question concerns the period of time necessary for non-EU nationals residing in the country to be eligible for Italian citizenship, proposing to reduce it from 10 to five years. The parties of the ruling coalition, led by Premier Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy, opposed the referendum, with some politicians urging citizens not to participate in the vote. According to the advocacy group International Democracy Community, although opposition parties have supported the referendum, it is primarily a citizens' initiative and not a political matter. "The referendum questions were proposed through a bottom-up approach, and did not come from parliament," the International Democracy Community said in a statement. "Members of the Europa+ party launched the initiative on the citizenship question, whilst the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) has been the initiator of the Labour Act ones, with support from the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, and the Green and Left Alliance." According to exit data after polls closed at 3 pm, the "yes" vote for the four labour law questions stood at around 85%, while 60% of voters said yes to the citizenship question. The referendum coincided with local elections in several Italian regions and municipalities.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
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
Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Sperm donor with cancer-linked mutation fathered 67 children across Europe; 10 diagnosed with cancer
A sperm donor carrying a rare genetic mutation associated with a high risk of cancer has fathered at least 67 children across Europe, with 10 of them now diagnosed with cancers including brain tumours and Hodgkin lymphoma, according to researchers speaking at a genetics conference in Milan. The donor, who remains healthy, carried a mutation in the TP53 gene, which can cause Li-Fraumeni syndrome—a hereditary condition that significantly raises the risk of developing cancer early in life. The mutation was undetected at the time of donation. 'This is heavy and stressful for carriers,' said Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital in France, who presented the findings at the European Society of Human Genetics annual conference. 'But we have seen [surveillance] enable early detection of tumours and thus improved patients' chances of survival.' According to Kasper, children conceived using the donor's sperm were born between 2008 and 2015 to 46 families in eight European countries: France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Greece, and the United Kingdom. Thirteen of the donor-conceived children carry the mutation but have not developed cancer so far. They now require lifelong monitoring, including regular MRI scans and clinical evaluations due to their elevated risk and a 50% chance of passing the mutation to their own offspring. The donor had contributed exclusively to European Sperm Bank, a private facility based in Denmark. 'At the heart of the problem seems to lie the regulation, or maybe the lack of regulation, of the number of births by a single donor,' Kasper said. The European Sperm Bank responded in a statement to CNN, acknowledging the situation as troubling. 'The donor has been thoroughly tested even above the required standards,' said Julie Paulli Budtz, the bank's vice president of corporate communications. 'But preventative genetic screening is reaching its limits here. It's scientifically not possible to detect disease-causing mutations in every gene unless you know what you're looking for.' Unlike France, where sperm donors are limited to 10 births, Denmark allows up to 12 and Germany permits up to 15. The lack of uniformity across Europe is a key issue, as per experts. To prevent future cases, the European Sperm Bank said it has voluntarily implemented a self-imposed international limit of 75 families per donor, although this is above the legal limit in several individual countries. (With inputs from CNN)
India Today
28-05-2025
- Health
- India Today
Sperm donor with cancer gene fathers 67 children, 10 of them have cancer now
A shocking case from Europe has ignited concerns over sperm donation regulations.A donor, who unknowingly carried a rare cancer-linked genetic mutation, has fathered at least 67 children, ten of whom have already been diagnosed with donor's sperm, used between 2008 and 2015, led to children being born in eight European countries, which has raised urgent questions about the limits placed on donor use and genetic screening The issue came to light during a presentation by Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital in France, at the annual European Society of Human Genetics conference in researcher explained that the donor carried a mutation in the TP53 gene, which is linked to Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare genetic disorder known to increase a person's lifetime risk of developing the time of the donations, the mutation was not known or detectable through standard genetic donor appeared healthy, and his sperm was distributed only through a private sperm bank in Denmark, the European Sperm Bank. However, years later, a pattern emerged as doctors across Europe began to notice a worrying trend among children conceived with his sperm. A donor, who unknowingly carried a rare cancer-linked genetic mutation, has fathered at least 67 children, ten of whom have already been diagnosed with cancer. () advertisementSo far, 10 children have developed serious cancers such as brain tumors, leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. An additional 13 children carry the mutation and are at high risk of developing cancer in the future."This mutation acts like a ticking time bomb. Children who inherited it need lifelong monitoring with frequent and intensive screenings," Kasper said in a press have recommended regular whole-body MRIs, brain scans, and abdominal ultrasounds for affected the process is stressful and heavy, early detection has already helped catch some cancers early, giving affected children a better chance at makes this case more alarming is that there is currently no international limit on how many children can be born from a single sperm donor, according to a report by The the European Sperm Bank has since implemented its own limit of 75 families per donor, the damage may have already been done."This case is deeply troubling. We followed and even exceeded genetic screening protocols, but no test can screen for all 20,000 human genes unless you know exactly what to look for," said Julie Paulli Budtz, Vice President of Corporate Communications at the European Sperm Bank told complexity of sperm donations across borders also poses a significant donor sperm is distributed internationally, it becomes increasingly difficult to track outcomes and ensure the donor is reportedly still healthy and unaware of the mutation at the time of donation, the fact remains that his genetic variant has now impacted dozens of children and their families, many of whom now face lifelong medical team has called for genetic counselling for all affected children and for a serious review of sperm donation Watch
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sperm donor with rare genetic mutation fathered 67 children. Ten now have cancer, prompting calls for reform
The sperm of a man carrying a rare genetic mutation linked to cancer was used to conceive scores of children across Europe, prompting calls for greater regulation and a limit on the number of births allowed from a single donor. Sperm from the donor was used to conceive at least 67 children from 46 families born between 2008 and 2015, said Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital in France, during a presentation at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics in Milan on Saturday. Ten of the children have already been diagnosed with cancer. 'At the heart of the problem seems to lie the regulation, or maybe the lack of regulation, of the number of births by a single donor,' she said. Analysis showed that the donor, who is himself healthy, had a rare mutation in a gene named TP53, which is likely to cause Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare disorder that increases a person's risk of developing cancer. The mutation was not known when the donation was made, but children born from this donor have since been identified in eight different European countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, said Kasper in her presentation. Ten of them have been diagnosed with cancers such as brain tumors and Hodgkin lymphoma, and another 13 children are carrying the gene but have not yet developed a cancer. They will require regular medical examinations due to their increased risk of developing cancer, and have a 50% chance of transmitting it on to their own children, said Kasper. 'The follow-up protocol involves whole-body MRI scans, MRI scans of the brain and, for adults, of the breast, ultrasound examination of the abdomen, and a clinical examination by a specialist. This is heavy and stressful for carriers, but we have seen its effectiveness in that it has enabled early detection of tumours and thus improved patients' chances of survival,' said Kasper in a press release. Unlike in some cases of serial sperm donors, such as a Dutch man who was ordered to stop donating sperm after being found to have fathered between 500 and 600 children around the world, this man only donated to a single private sperm bank in Denmark named the European Sperm Bank. Julie Paulli Budtz, vice-president of corporate communications at the European Sperm Bank, told CNN that it was 'deeply affected by this case.' 'The donor has been thoroughly tested even above the required standards, but preventative genetic screening is reaching its limits here,' she said in a statement sent to CNN on Monday. 'Every human being has about 20,000 genes, 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.' There is currently no limit on the number of children that are allowed to be born using a single donor, something which Budtz said the European Sperm Bank would like to change. 'This is also why, in addition to following national pregnancy limits, we have proactively implemented our own international limit of 75 families per donor,' she said. This limit is self-imposed as regulations vary from country to country. For example, France has a limit of 10 births per donor, while Denmark allows 12 and Germany allows up to 15, according to the press release. 'There is a major issue here concerning a lack of harmonised regulation across Europe,' Kasper said in the release. 'We need proper regulation at European level to try to prevent it happening again, and to implement measures to ensure a worldwide limit on the number of offspring conceived from the same donor.'
