Universities, hi-tech clusters, hospitals and research centres from the France-Belgium cross-border region have joined forces to develop new, non-invasive ways to diagnose atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of the arteries due to the build-up of fatty material known as plaque. It causes diseases of the circulatory system – including strokes and heart attacks – which are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. The NanoCardio project explores the use of magnetic (MRI) and optical (fluorescence) imaging to detect the disease in its early stages.