It has now been found that N-L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester
(APM)
lowers whole blood viscosity in patient, including those suffering from sickle
cell disease and plasma cell dyscrasias. Upon in vivo APM treatment patients experienced
a significant lowering of whole blood viscosity. In vitro addition of APM to patients
samples having elevated whole blood viscosity resulted in reduced viscosity over
time. These in vivo and in vivo results identify APM as a therapeutic agent for
molecular diseases which lead to elevated whole blood viscosity. A method by which
APM treatment can be monitored is also disclosed.
