‘Russian Roulette’: 18 Greek Children Born to Donor with High-Risk Cancer Gene

16:19 12/12/2025 - Πηγή: iEfimerida

Greek authorities confirmed this week that 18 children in the country were born using sperm from a Danish donor carrying a high-risk cancer mutation, with at least one child already diagnosed with the disease.

The revelation is part of a widening cross-border scandal involving the European Sperm Bank. The donor, who fathered at least 197 children across Europe,

carried a defect in the TP53 gene, which normally suppresses tumors. While the donor appeared healthy, the mutation gives his offspring up to a 90% lifetime risk of developing cancer, often in childhood.

Medical geneticist Konstantinos Pangalos condemned the incident as a catastrophic "system failure" of the continent's fertility industry.

"This is not an error," Dr. Pangalos told Greek media. "It is the result of a system with no unified registries, no common limits, and no mechanism to stop a donor after a safe threshold is reached."

The case highlights a critical regulatory gap. While Greece limits a single donor to 12 children domestically, the absence of an EU-wide database allowed the donor's samples to be shipped freely to clinics from Germany to Georgia, bypassing national caps.

"Uncontrolled circulation of genetic material is like playing Russian roulette with children’s health," Dr. Pangalos warned.

Greece’s National Authority for Assisted Reproduction has banned any future use of the donor’s material and ordered clinics to notify affected families for immediate genetic testing. The European Sperm Bank apologized, claiming the mutation was undetectable in 2005 due to "gonadal mosaicism," a condition where the defect appears only in reproductive cells.

However, experts argue the tragedy underscores the urgent need for a mandatory European donor registry to prevent the mass dissemination of genetic risks in the future.

By Vassilis Goulas

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