MLANA and melanoma: The hyperdifferentiated state, which has so far only be reported in drug-exposed melanoma lesions (3), and the melanocytic one (and to a lesser degree also the intermediate state) are characterized by the expression of the master lineage transcription factor MITF and its downstream melanocytic markers such TYR, TYRP1 and Melan-A/MART1 implicated in cell differentiation and pigment formation (3–7).