BATON ROUGE — In an autologous bone marrow transplant, a patient's healthy stem cells are used to replace diseased or damaged bone marrow.

"It's an intense treatment that has to be done in the hospital — typically, patients who stay in the hospital for approximately three weeks," Mayo Clinic's Ernesto Ayala said.

This is the time the immune system regenerates.

"Within three to six months after the transplant, the immune system is expected to be completely normal," Ayala said.

Patients with autoimmune disorders can return to their normal lives — most remaining in remission — making this treatment a good option.

"Autologous transplantation is an alternative and effective alternative for patients with autoimmune disease that are failing the standard treatments," Ayala said.

Candidates for this treatment are those without severe organ damage.

"We want them to have a good heart, good lungs, good kidney, good liver, have a good family support," Ayala said.