On the other hand, if we were wearing a mask in the car which was hooked up to an air tank, we would be spared so much more of the harmful effects of the exhaust, even when the exhaust was all around us. And this effect is much like that of HGH in the protease scenario. The HGH, by eliciting the action of protease inhibitors, deters the proteases from going into their destructive action, even when free radicals are present and bidding them (biochemically) to do so.

This is the theory so far, but further experiment is likely to confirm much of it rather than contradict it. By way of partial corroboration, protease inhibitors such as saquinavir and ritonavir are presently being used in the treatment of AIDS patients. Early results so far indicate that they are helping to reduce the levels of the virus in patients to almost undetectable levels.

Wong also theorizes that HGH may be affecting a cell's tendency toward aging by way of countering apoptosis, which is the programmed death of a cell. (As a mnemonic, or memory aid, you might think of apoptosis as the programmed tendency of a cell to eventually die, or "pop off".)

Experiments have demonstrated that when proteases associated with apoptosis are introduced into brain cells, the brain cells die. When these cells are induced to make protease inhibitors, however, the cells survive. Thus, by causing a cell to make protease inhibitors, HGH may well be causing it to stave off "popping off".

To emphasize once more, much that comprises the explanations of how HGH works is still at the theoretical stage, with experimental work presently ongoing. But much of this work is expected to corroborate present theory. What is virtually beyond theory at present is that HGH has shown that it can, to a very considerable extent, counter and halt the aging process. It will be left to the future to explain in detail exactly how it works its wonders.

For now, it is enough to know that it does.