A novel mechanism in wound healing: Laminin 332 drives MMP9/14 activity by recruiting syndecan-1 and CD44

•Re-epithelialization is a critical step in the skin wound healing response.•Keratinocytes deposit extracellular matrix laminin 332 along their path while migrating.•Matrix metalloproteinases-9 and −14 exert their proteolytic activity in epithelial podosomes in primary keratinocytes.•The laminin α3 chain globular domains 4 and 5 recruit and merge syndecan-1 and CD44 in podosomes.•The proteoglycan receptor syndecan-1 regulates epithelial podosome formation and proteolytic activity.