Many models of tumorigenesis postulate that embryonic states resembling self-renewing stem cells arise early in disease and promote the development of a diversity of downstream states in response to pressure from immunosurveillance or therapy.72 However, we find that dedifferentiated states are present in the invasive components of later stage melanoma and very rarely in MIS or stage I melanoma; this is true whether induction of neural crest signatures, NGFR protein expression, or expression of embryonic genes is used as a criterion. The gene discussed is NGFR; the disease is melanoma.