Is amyloid beta peptide a driver of inflammaging?

Inflammaging, the chronic subclinical systemic inflammation accompanying aging, represents a critical pathogenetic mechanism underlying age-related neurodegenerative diseases. While amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides are established contributors to neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease, their role in aging-related subclinical inflammation remains insufficiently elucidated. In humans, Aβ exhibits dual functions: it supports neuronal activity, survival, and protection against neurotrauma, while also promoting inflammation and central nervous system dysfunction. This review highlights the beneficial effects of Aβ, including its antioxidant and antipathogenic properties, and synthesizes current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms driving Aβ-associated inflammaging. We structure this analysis across distinct brain cell types - microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, neurons, pericytes, and endothelial cells - and consider additional factors influencing Aβ-related neuroinflammation. Finally, we examine strategies to counteract the detrimental effects of Aβ, focusing on Aβ physiological clearance via the blood-brain barrier and glymphatic system, as well as therapeutic interventions. Understanding Aβ-driven inflammaging mechanisms offers new therapeutic avenues for early intervention in age-related neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in genetically susceptible populations. Targeting Aβ-associated inflammaging reframes Aβ not solely as a pathological marker but also as a context-dependent contributor to inflammatory processes during brain aging.