To investigate how aging contributes to δ-secretase escalation, we tested a panel of age-dependent brain expressed transcription factors and found that a CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein (C/EBPβ), an inflammation-regulated transcription factor, acts as a key age-dependent effector elevating both δ-secretase and inflammatory cytokine expression in mediating pathogenesis in AD mouse models. The gene discussed is CEBPB; the disease is Alzheimer disease.