Price of youth: Dubai's AEON Clinic leads push for biological age reversal with DNA targeted treatments

Arabian Business

5 days ago

Biological age reversal, once relegated to the realm of science fiction, is fast becoming a clinical reality. Dubai's AEON Clinic offers several highly advanced treatments to clientele looking to achieve longevity, propelled by the vision of Founder and CEO Dr. Jaffer Khan.
A veteran reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon in the UAE, Khan is placing a bold bet on the future of healthcare: reversing biological age through precision and regenerative medicine.
From his clinic at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai, Khan is leading AEON Clinic, a high-end medical facility focused on extending healthspan rather than simply treating illness. The clinic targets a wealthy, globally mobile clientele with the promise of data-driven, preventive care that leverages cutting-edge science – from stem cell therapies to genomic sequencing.
'We're reversing biological age by looking at parameters such as DNA methylation,' said Khan in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business. 'There's an objective parameter that is changing. Your age is moving backwards biologically, not chronologically.'
Although the price point remains high today, Khan is confident that as the technology scales and becomes more widely adopted, age-reversal treatments will move beyond the domain of the wealthy and become accessible to a broader population.
Khan stresses that the approach at AEON Clinic is grounded in rigorous science rather than hype. 'We're not promising anything, you know. I mean, people come and they spend whatever $50,000 on a stem cell treatment, they are doing it knowing that we're not saying that this is going to be a game changer, a life changer for you.' The clinic provides patients with detailed diagnostics and clear benchmarks: 'Here is the science. Here is your current parameter. This is where we believe we can take you, and the rest is your journey,' he said.
Data protection remains a pivotal challenge as healthcare moves deeper into personalised medicine. Khan believes that there can be excessive caution at times. 'I don't care if somebody knows my blood type. How is it going to change my life?'
However, he calls for balanced regulation, 'HIPAA compliance has to happen. Okay? It has to be HIPAA compliant. You have to protect that data.'
The ethical landscape surrounding regenerative medicine is complex, particularly concerning stem cell therapies. Khan pointed out the significant issues tied to embryonic stem cells. 'From an ethical perspective, regenerative medicine is right up there from stem cell technology, embryonic like, for example, one type of stem cells embryonic, but you have to kill the embryo to get it. So there's a huge ethical issue with that.' Yet the promise of such science is enormous.
Breakthroughs in genetic engineering offer tantalising glimpses of the future. Khan highlighted experiments in animals demonstrating profound regenerative effects. 'Already in mice experiments, they are reversing age, growing their hair back. Blind mice are seeing again… You know all of these, what we call gene splicing, or gene transcription. It's there.' Technologies like CRISPR, which allow for precise editing of genetic sequences, have opened new frontiers.
'Since 2012 we can remove a bad segment of genomics and add a segment in what it costs for something like cystic fibrosis, maybe $2 million at the moment, but it won't be in 10 years' time,' Khan said.
The dramatic drop in the cost of genome sequencing exemplifies how quickly the field is evolving. 'You know, it costs a billion dollars to decide for 3 billion to decipher the whole human genome. We do that now for $1,000 you know, as a test.'
With technology advancing rapidly, treatments now available only to a wealthy few are expected to become broadly accessible. 'Although these treatments currently come with a considerably high price tag, Khan believes that in a few years when these technologies become more accessible and widespread – the service will not only be for the wealthy.'
A critical part of AEON Clinic's philosophy is the long-term relationship it builds with patients. 'We're not just another retreat or one-off center. This is an ongoing clinical relationship based on diagnostics, biomarkers, and long-term planning,' Khan explained.
Despite the promise of regenerative and precision medicine, Khan is clear-eyed about the importance of managing expectations. 'From an ethical point of view, we need to make sure that we introduce things without over delivering too many promises.' The clinic's approach is rooted in prudence: 'We should under promise and over deliver, rather than the other way around.'
As longevity science advances, AEON Clinic is positioning itself to be a regional leader in a field that may redefine the future of healthcare. But Khan cautioned that the journey is just beginning and the technology still has to mature: 'This technology will be more and more available.'
For now, patients willing to invest significant sums are embarking on what Khan calls a personal journey – one supported by cutting-edge diagnostics and treatments. 'We're reversing biological age… but what are the promises? We're not promising anything… This is where we believe we can take you, and the rest is your journey,' he concluded.