Front Cover: Comprehensive Magnetic Resonance Imaging Relaxometry of Gadolinium‐Based Contrast Agents: A Systematic Study of Transmetallation and Transchelation Processes With Zinc Ions and Heparin (ChemMedChem 6/2026)

In their Research Article (DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202501096) using MRI relaxometry, Patrick Werner and Leif Schröder monitor the transmetallation and transchelation of gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents (GBCAs) in the presence of zinc ions and the glycosaminoglycan heparin. The competition between GBCAs and heparin for Gd ions is revealed by significant changes in relaxation rates. The study highlights stability patterns of linear versus macrocyclic agents and establishes a versatile platform that can illuminate another aspect of GBCA safety and guide the design of more stable agents.